Re: Status of Rio Pecos?
Hi Bob; I don't think so. Bob has had a lot of trouble with e-mail and the SitG site has been fouled up for months. Unless something happened there in the last couple of weeks, he should still be around. I got some brake parts for my OS Riding car from him a few weeks ago. By the way, I would not recommend buying the OS Riding car. It's fine if you don't plan on adding the brake kit, but if you plan on adding brakes, do not buy that car. The brake linkage hangs way too low to get away with running at PLS. If you derail into a frog, you will break parts. I've done it 3 times now. I am now running it without the brakes, which means I can't run the Koppel until I see If I can redesign the trucks to use 1 railroad supply brakes which are much more robust, simpler, and mount high enough to avoid the problems I have with them. Phil P In the Swap Shop at the SitG web site, I noticed that Bob Osterhoudt posted an item as The last of my gauge one locomotives. When I tried the SitG link to Rio Pecos, the page was not found. Did I miss an announcement somewhere that Bob is going out of business? I bought two Pearse locos from him and was always pleased with both his service and his helpfulness. Bob Blackson
Re: ECLSTS
It's off Route 30 on the south side of York,PA. Rt.74 exit (Carlisle Ave) Look for the signs leading to the York Fairgrounds. Phil P when is the garden RR show at York, where Mike will have his portable track at. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Paskos Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 12:30 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re: ECLSTS This is primarily an electric Garden railway show at York, PA fairgrounds. This is a large 3 day event and for the first time Gauge-1 Live steam will be present courtesy of Mike Moore who will be bringing his multiloop dual gauge live steam portable track to the show. Members of the Pennsylvania Live steamers and others are welcome to attend and promote live steam there. Phil P
Re: ECLSTS
Tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday Phil P thanks for the directions, but what are the dates of the show?? -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Paskos Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 7:09 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re: ECLSTS It's off Route 30 on the south side of York,PA. Rt.74 exit (Carlisle Ave) Look for the signs leading to the York Fairgrounds. Phil P when is the garden RR show at York, where Mike will have his portable track at. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Paskos Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 12:30 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re: ECLSTS This is primarily an electric Garden railway show at York, PA fairgrounds. This is a large 3 day event and for the first time Gauge-1 Live steam will be present courtesy of Mike Moore who will be bringing his multiloop dual gauge live steam portable track to the show. Members of the Pennsylvania Live steamers and others are welcome to attend and promote live steam there. Phil P
Re: ECLSTS
This is primarily an electric Garden railway show at York, PA fairgrounds. This is a large 3 day event and for the first time Gauge-1 Live steam will be present courtesy of Mike Moore who will be bringing his multiloop dual gauge live steam portable track to the show. Members of the Pennsylvania Live steamers and others are welcome to attend and promote live steam there. Phil P
Re: Materials compatibility
All the large scale guys at PLS that have cast irons valves and/or cylinders use engine oil to lubricate the cylinders after they are done running. Condensation and the inability to get every last bit of water out of them after a run assures no rust the next time. One person forgot this last year and paid the price of having to tear down the cylinders and valves to clean them up. I'll bet he doesn't forget this year. Phil P Hi Royce. I use cast iron valves all the time ( except the times I dont ) no joking apart the valves do not rust if you use steam oil that stuff gets everywhere so there is no need to worry ;; you wont be disapointed . I wonder if the gauling is not caused by something totally different ( ie ) dirt from your boiler ( is ) silver solder flux ;; had that happen to me once . Graham .S( NO ECHO . Hi Graham. Thanks for responding. It is my impression that cast iron is not used much in gauge one locos due to rust problems or other considerations. Not sure what they are. Maybe someone can comment on the use of cast iron in gauge one - or rather why we don't see it used much. royce in SB graham sprague wrote:
Re: Materials compatibility
Hmm. If the materials are finished well, no sharp edges etc and you're using steam oil that is getting to the ports, I'm surprised that is happening. Phil P Hi Gang. Still struggling with my Philly. But I ran across a problem I thought some input from the experts might be advisable. The slide valve port face is made of common brass. I made the slide valve itself from an ingot of an unknown alloy of bronze, thinking the dissimilarity of materials would make a good combination. The face of the ports is galling . So the material combination is not satisfactory. Since the easier part to make are the valves,does anyone have a suggestion as to material ? I'm considering teflon, stainless steel (416), leadalloy, brass, phosphor bronze (of known composition). Thanks for your input. royce in SB
Re: Larry's Steamup
First; Thanks for sharing. His garden railroad is just that. Very nice. If you would not have told me yours was a Ruby conversion I would not have known. It looks great. Rubies like to be run. Some more running time should make a world of difference. Phil P Here are pictures I took at Larry Banghams' this weekend. Thanks Larry and Dorthy, Jackie and I had a great time. http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/BobStarr/LARRY%20BANGHAM%20STEAMUP.html Bob Starr Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr http://www.standforpeace.com A HREF=http://www.geocities.com/cgnr.geo/;ART IN GARDEN RAILROADING-THE CGNR/A http://www.geocities.com/cgnr.geo/
Re: Roadshow
About 4 years ago, the Quirk Brothers took their portable track to a mid-winter show near my home called Cabin Fever Expo. I went there looking for some good buys on tools. Until then I had no idea that live steam locos existed in Gauge-1. It's been a lot of fun ever since that fateful winter day. Still Hooked; Phil P Mike, this is a cool idea! It sounds like you're seeing the same thing I have. There are a lot of people who aren't interested in live steam simply because they don't know it exists, and there are some of those people who get interested enough that they might get into the hobby themselves, given the chance. Good for you, to givie them the chance. -vance- Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. http://standforpeace.com
Re: Survey is posted/ visitors to track
We had a special safety meeting at the Pennsylvania Live Steam track today. It was a very nice spring day. The old Reading Railroad right of way that fronts PLS has been converted to a county hiking/biking trail. We had a lot of visitors that never knew we were there. We handed out 4 applications for associate memberships. I'm not sure what is going to happen in a few weeks when we have our first official run day. I ran my RH#24 for the first time in a while. Great day. Track wintered well. Phil P preaching to the choir and not out on the street corner recruiting converts like the Sally Ann did years ago. OK, Walt has issued the challenge -- what are we going to do in response? How about a pledge for each of us to have (or attend) an open house and teach at least one willing volunteer to run a live steamer? That's what got me hooked (thanks, Ken Matticks!) and you will all remember the thrill of your first run, I expect. We are remodeling our back yard so it will be more hospitable to a railroad, so all my track will be relaid and the railroad finally completed this spring or early summer. I intend to have a steam-and-batteries- only open house, and will teach anyone interested to fire a Ruby or C- 16. If we all did it and got one person interested in live steam, think of what an impact that would make on our overall numbers! regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Survey is posted/live steam layout
There is no one answer to this one. Your terrain, the kind of soil, where in the country you live, as well as space and finances all make a big difference in how you build it. Ground level for anyone not in very good physical condition or older than ?? is not a good thing, but the materials we use in the S.E. PA area don't work well in Florida or the desert area of Nevada. I know this doesn't answer your question, but there is no one answer that works for every body everywhere. Phil P Vance, You said in your post We are remodeling our back yard so it will be more hospitable to a railroad... It got me to thinking-What are some major points to having a successful live steam yard layout? I have a ground level line, and of course some of the weak points of bend and stoop have been mentioned. Hey, how about a survey Actually, does anyone have a List of what works and would like to share it? Vic in CA
Re: Survey is posted/SS live steam layouts
Sound like a great setup to me. Phil P Well, we're actually remodeling ours to make it all ground-level. (!?) The reason is that it had a slight slope, which was too much to ignore, but not enough to have major features like long trestles or other workarounds. We had three terraced levels, and we've built a retaining wall at the bottom of the middle level and are filling in the former upper and middle terraces. For interest, there is a stream to conduct runoff water away from the house and towards the trees at the bottom of the yard, as well as a berm to accentuate the depth of the stream bed. But, while it's basically a ground-level line, intended as a scenic railway with plants and buildings and such, the retaining wall separating the upper and lower areas is 30 above the bottom level. With a track running right along that wall, you'll only have to bend over slightly to get at your loco on a steamup siding, while the other trains roll by on the mainline. The best live steam railroad is just a roadbed on posts. That definition of best considers only the operational end, though, and we want a nice rock garden and miniature landscape to look at while we're not running the trains. So, we're willing to compromise a little on the operations in order to ease the aesthetic impact. On the other hand, the best live steam railroad is the one that looks the most like a real railroad for your real locomotives to run on. De gustibus non disputandum. I have baby pictures, if anyone's interested. :-) regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Survey is posted/scale speeds
Shays at a prototypical 60 mph? Hmmm! When Jeff brought his speed charts to PLS a few years ago I always thought I ran my RH#24 close to scale speed (about 20 mph). I was shocked when I timed it and found I was running at close to 45 MPH. Paul Quirk holds the current record at 155mph by the way. Phil P (Much snipped) Speaking of cow catchers, this Ruby has one--solid brass!. I'll let my Shay owner friends borrow it on occasion as most of them speed around at a prototypical 60mph. Well, you've been to steamups! Geoff.
Re: progress on the FHPB
Your gonna love this one. We have a situation at PLS where we have a permanent Girder type bridge that lifts out. On run day weekends we set out buildings,stations, water towers and a nice wooden trestle bridge. In other words, do both. Phil P (snip...snip) The thing with the waterway and the adjacent hills is to give the illusion of traveling through varied terrain, while letting the manually controlled live steamers move with minimum hands-on in difficult areas. I'm waffling between a wooden deck truss and a plate girder bridge across the arroyo. Any suggestions? I think the wooden bridge would look cooler, but the metal girders would hold up better to being lifted in and out. -vance- Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. http://standforpeace.com
Re: Different strokes - Aster survey, fuel choices, etc. etc.
Anthony is calling it the way I see it. They will build what they are sure will sell. Phil P You can send in all the surveys you like, folks, It's how you vote with your dollars/pounds/euros/yen that will determine future offerings. Aster still has Colorado and Southern butane-fired Moguls for sale 12 years after their introduction. Accucraft still has electric 1:24 GLENBROOK Moguls for sale in spite of a production run of only 20. Aster and Accucraft will not ignore these lessons.
Re: alcohol vs butane vs white gas
On the 1 and 1-1/2 kerosene burning locos I've seen, they start them by forcing compressed air through the burners to atomize the fuel. This allows simply lighting them with a long match or a metal rod with some wick material soaked in kerosene to get the fire burning. This also forces the draft (drought?) through the engine. Once boiler pressure of about 40 pounds is reached, the air can be discontinued and they fire on their own. Should fire be lost while running an old ford coil feeding a spark plug will reignite them. I'll leave it to the imagination of this group to figure out how to do this on Gauge-1 Locos. I think it could be done. Phil P Hi Clark, Does the burner in the 1.5 scale shay require preheating before turning on the kerosene (or #2 diesel) supply? The reason I ask is that my old Primus stoves required that the burner be preheated in order to vaporize the kerosene. After the burner was alight with vaporized kerosene then it would maintain a sufficiently high temperature to keep the vaporization going. If one let the kerosene flow to the burner before it was hot enough then the kerosene remained liquid and produced only a small, yellow, and smokey flame that was useless. Vaporized kerosene produced a blue, hot flame. Steve Shyvers
Re: alcohol vs gas- again
There's no question that alcohol is more readily available than the gas (butane or butane/propane mix that most gas users use), but alcohol can be a pain. You have to start up with an extra fan. Getting the right wick material, height etc. can be an even bigger pain. And frankly from my observations, Aster owners don't care for gas because Aster's offerings that have gas burners in them don't work near as well as other manufacturers offerings. The K-4 is a classic example. If I want a hassle free day of running, I'll run my RH gas burner every time. My opinion only of course. Phil P Is butane or alcohol more readily available world wide? Gary - Running trains over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon http://www.angelfire.com/or/trainguy http://community.webshots.com/user/raltzenthor - Original Message - From: Vance Bass To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 2:13 PM Subject: Re: Accucraft live steam Daylight GS-4: It's for real! It certainly makes sense that it would be Aster. Their past products have been more aligned with the UK/European tastes than American. And, given that so many of their previous locos have been alcohol fired, it also makes sense that the people responding to an Aster survey (i.e., current Aster owners, I suspect) would prefer what Aster has already made. It would be really interesting to see the same survey conducted by Roundhouse or Accucraft. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: glitching
Hi Chuck; I'm curious to find out how your railroad made it through the winter. This assumes, of course, that you can see it this early in the season. Here in SE PA it looks like it's starting to give up. Phil.P. The newer #24's have a Hitec 3 channel FM radio with built in circuitry that does not allow you to turn off the transmitter. If you do, the servos go back to neutral automatically. Engine stops! BTW, I hate it! Chuck -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Paskos Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 8:37 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re: glitching O.K. With the servo smoother installed, you can run with the transmitter turned off. I was thinking in terms of standard R-C units. The rule the airplane guys always used was transmitter on first and off last to prevent servo lockup. The main reason I went with RCS was for the small transmitter and so I could add a Soundtraxx Sierra sound unit to my SRRL #24. Like Earle, my #24 came with one of the earlier radios. I understand the newer units have a better radio with them. Phil My point was that with the Servo Smoother installed my #24 will remain at whatever direction/throttle settings I set it at and work just fine (glitch-free) even with the Transmitter turned off. For those of us with glitching R/C setups this device is a much cheaper way to get our units working properly without replacing with an RCS system. From whats been said here even some people with RCS systems have experienced the dreaded GlitchEarle
Re: glitching
Good news on the track being straight and true as well as the layout being flat. Frankly I had my doubts. I was sure frost heaving would get you with all sorts of unevenness. I think you have had worse winters than we had in 02. I'm not sure about this one as this is the worse one we've had since 96. It looks like things are starting to change now though. One more question though. Is your soil fairly firm or do you get some muddy areas in your yard? I doubt that it's sandy, But I could be wrong. Phil Hi Phil, This is the second winter. The original wood structure was built in the summer of 01'. As a matter of fact, I was just out there surveying the layout. Other than some Aristo switch machines not working (I am converting everthing to Sunset Valley throws this Spring), the layout is dead flat and the track is straight and true. So far, the floating pier system has proven to work in our area. At one point this winter, even the high side of the track (which is five feet off the ground) was buried under Old Man Winter. I have included a picture of the layout covered in a bit less snow in my next article in SitG. Chuck -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Paskos Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 8:25 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re: glitching Hi Chuck; I'm curious to find out how your railroad made it through the winter. This assumes, of course, that you can see it this early in the season. Here in SE PA it looks like it's starting to give up. Phil.P. The newer #24's have a Hitec 3 channel FM radio with built in circuitry that does not allow you to turn off the transmitter. If you do, the servos go back to neutral automatically. Engine stops! BTW, I hate it! Chuck -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Phil Paskos Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003 8:37 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re: glitching O.K. With the servo smoother installed, you can run with the transmitter turned off. I was thinking in terms of standard R-C units. The rule the airplane guys always used was transmitter on first and off last to prevent servo lockup. The main reason I went with RCS was for the small transmitter and so I could add a Soundtraxx Sierra sound unit to my SRRL #24. Like Earle, my #24 came with one of the earlier radios. I understand the newer units have a better radio with them. Phil My point was that with the Servo Smoother installed my #24 will remain at whatever direction/throttle settings I set it at and work just fine (glitch-free) even with the Transmitter turned off. For those of us with glitching R/C setups this device is a much cheaper way to get our units working properly without replacing with an RCS system. From whats been said here even some people with RCS systems have experienced the dreaded GlitchEarle
Re: glitching
O.K. With the servo smoother installed, you can run with the transmitter turned off. I was thinking in terms of standard R-C units. The rule the airplane guys always used was transmitter on first and off last to prevent servo lockup. The main reason I went with RCS was for the small transmitter and so I could add a Soundtraxx Sierra sound unit to my SRRL #24. Like Earle, my #24 came with one of the earlier radios. I understand the newer units have a better radio with them. Phil My point was that with the Servo Smoother installed my #24 will remain at whatever direction/throttle settings I set it at and work just fine (glitch-free) even with the Transmitter turned off. For those of us with glitching R/C setups this device is a much cheaper way to get our units working properly without replacing with an RCS system. From whats been said here even some people with RCS systems have experienced the dreaded GlitchEarle
Re: C11
Arghh! You're rubbing my SE PA location in my face you know. I need a live steam fix bad. The Gauge1 track at PLS is still under about a foot of snow as is the large scale stuff too. We had a dusting yesterday too. BUT, Spring is just around the corner. I've added some Reading coal hoppers to my Camelback and I'm anxious to get running again. That's a good load for a 3/4 engine. The welsh coal is really about the best stuff for our use. But not even all of that is created equal. Mike Moore wasn't happy with the Welsh he got from Jersey to run in his Gauge1 Aster K-4. Phil Yo Phil, Thanks for that suggestion!! Right! The OS's are running just superbly, the Britannia pulled two adults and 3 kids the other day with out a burp and no wheel slippage!! Very little smoke with that Welsh coal. vbg Geoff Yo Geoff; My advice is very simple. Save the screwdriver for your O.S. equipment. All you need is the hammer. (vbg) Phil Does anyone out there have, or has owned, an Aster C11. If so what comments do you have on the performance of this loco and any suggested tweaks to improve performance. Of course, as you all know, I know everything, but this is for a friend who doesn't understand this despite my lengthy ramblings. I wait with bated steam, a hammer and a screwdriver! Geoff.
Re: OT: steamup photography [was: (No subject)]
You can get some very good pictures with a 3 megapixel camera. I don't know how fussy you are. I still don't think a digital camera in the hobby price range will compete with a 35mm Nikon with fine grain photo film especially in the 8X10 or 16X12 sizes you are referring to. Like everything else, the camera is only part of the story. The right printer and paper can make a big difference. It takes some time to find a setup that will please you. I use Corel Paint to control the size, quality, color balance, contrast etc. If you use one of the newer printers that have 1200 or better DPI capabilities, the results to me are plenty good enough. If I plan on posting them on the net, they must be reduced in size and DPI. A three megapixel picture not only will take forever to send and download, it takes up a lot of disk space. Even with a fast computer, these pictures can take a long time to process at home and print. For home use and posting to the internet, 3 megapixels is fine. If you plan on sending them to National Geographic I don't think so. Hans Huyler( sp?) posts pictures on the Thursday night LS chat group from time to time. Hans is a master at getting pictures that are razor sharp and have a perspective that makes you not really sure if you looking at Gauge 1 or a full scale loco. That makes them superb in my eyes. Phil I'm partial to Epson printers by the way. I'm using a not very expensive 785EPX. I would get one with the new non water soluble inks by the way. My opinions only Phil Hi Trent, Dave et al, As with high quality 35mm film cameras, Nikon etc. the end results are totally dependant on the quality of the lens in the enlarger being comparable to the original photographic lens. Therefore, I would be interested in knowing which colour printers and paper do you guys use for supporting the quality of these high definition photographs at 3-6 megapixels. i.e look brilliant on the screen, but not much use if final print quality is not comparable. I am talking in terms of 10 x 8 to 16 x 12 print sizes, not postcards. Please advise, Thanks guys, Tony D. At 10:57 PM 3/4/03 -0600, Trent Dowler wrote: Hello Dave, Thanks for the additional information. It gives me a lot more confidence in the 3 Megapixel market. I'm currently considering the Sony Mavica CD-400, but haven't convinced myself to make the purchase. I'll definitely take a closer look at the Fuji S602 now that I've seen actual photos from it. Thanks again for the information. Later, Trent Dave Cole wrote: *it's a fuji s602. *it has 6x optical zoom and macro capability (focuses down to three inches). *it has manual (as well as auto) shutter speed and aperture. *it has all the features of a six-megapixel, but is only captures three megapixels (this is the tradeoff). *santa paid around $500 for it (same features and six megapixels would be $1500-$2k).
Re: C11
Yo Geoff; My advice is very simple. Save the screwdriver for your O.S. equipment. All you need is the hammer. (vbg) Phil Does anyone out there have, or has owned, an Aster C11. If so what comments do you have on the performance of this loco and any suggested tweaks to improve performance. Of course, as you all know, I know everything, but this is for a friend who doesn't understand this despite my lengthy ramblings. I wait with bated steam, a hammer and a screwdriver! Geoff.
Re: OT: bo museum latest pictures
NO! We can get a storm like this at least once every few years. The last few winters have been very mild here in S.E. PA. We are about 90 miles north of Baltimore,MD. The last big storm of note was in 1996. Definitely less than 100 years. Last year at this time, the hardy ones around here were steaming at our club track. Phil It would seem a crime that the roundhouse wasn't designed to withstand anticipatable snow loads without risking irreplaceable artifacts (trains). But maybe these snow loads were outside the 100 year limits. Were they ? royce in SB
Re: Wire Drawing?
I'm sure that this context refers to cad or other drawing programs that use this feature to aid in making quick changes to drawings where their are a lot of hi-resolution images that can take a long time to re-draw. Do them in the quickwire draw' method and when you are done go to the full resolution drawing to get the final look. The English language strikes again. Too many words and terms with more than one meaning. Phil Mike E wrote:- If I remember correctly, this is not what is meant in this context, but I can't remember what is really meant by the term wire drawing in relation to ssls valving. It means that you're trying to push steam through a pipe that is too small for it, so that friction limits the rate at which steam can pass. I use it on the Catatonk 24T Shay, which has a manifold connecting steam and exhaust to the cylinders and, on the soon to be shipped MkII version, it limits the speed on full throttle, light engine, to about 20mph (1mph actual.) Mike C.
Re: Rodent damage to plastic ties and switches
I recommend a precision air gun with 40 power scope. You can nail them at 50 yards with great accuracy. O.K. animal lovers, let me have it. Phil Have posted to SitG too. The plastic on top of switches removed by little tooth marks to degree that the brass throw device is totally exposed. Some track tie ends are gnawed down to the cavity. Assume might be the plastic content as some of the throws are not damaged. Any suggestion re spray or paint-solution that might repel will be appreciated. I remember another steamer had this problem a couple years ago. Thanks. Jim Burns
Re: Aster Alisan wick problem
I'm assuming that you are talking about adjusting the fuel level by adjusting the height of the pickup tube inside the tank. If that tube is too high it won't pick up the fuel, if it's too low the alcohol will over flow the top of the wick holding tubes under the engine. This latter condition will be evidenced by starting fires on the ties under the engine, particularly when the engine is at rest. Phil I just got my new Alisan shay. Fuel was running out of the overflow hole. I made sure the fuel cap was on correctly and it still leaked. I added about 1/4 of rubber tubing to the tube that regulates fuel level, which stopped the leak. The wicks would not hold a flame. The wicks arrived 15mm long so I trimmed them to 5mm. The specs call for 5mm in one place and 3mm in another section of the instructions. Flame was better and I raised .5-1 Bar pressure three times and opened the blower a bit, removed the fan and the flame went out within a minute. No fuel was the problem. This is on level ground. Wicks are packed fairly densly (I can rotate the wick bundle, but it does not pull out easily and the wick head cannot be mashed down). Wondering whether my 1/4 extra tubing on the overflow vent pipe for fuel is somehow restricting fuel when pressure is raised? The fuel clear line shows no fuel when the fire goes out. The tank has fuel. I tip the loco and fuel runs into the line and the air bubble burps out so fuel flows enough to raise pressure again. Any help would be appreciated. I have only fixed and fired a friend's Reno (which had some significant fuel leaks for awhile also) and otherwise run a butane fired Steamlines shay. Gary - Running trains over Terror Trestle in Eugene, Oregon
Re: Drawbar Pulling Competition Results
Ahhh. Question? You did mean 4.6% grade didn't you? 46% is one of things I'd like to see. Phil Everyone, There really are no rules. Like I said it amazes me that no one has tried anything trick yet to my knowledge. At St. Louis we have a hill climb event just asking for someone to make modifications. Of course the record climb was 46% grade by John Garrett's DJB Climax. Now I know John likes to tinker but things looked rather stock. It did't get a technical inspection after winning like NASCAR. Eldorado Timber Mining Co. Bruce G. Gathman, President Tall Trees - Deep Shafts
Re: Re: Drawbar Pulling Competition Results
Good grief. That's incredible. I really do wish I was there to see that! Phil Phil, My entry was correct - 46%. It totally threw me too. The only adhesion improver allowed was chalking the rails. I had devised a track that could be elevated to 22.5% grade and we had to stack boxes etc under one end and calculate the grade manually. The high end was barely reachable from standing on a chair in a 12 foot length of track. We immediately moved every thing off the tables to the floor. Eldorado Timber Mining Co. Bruce G. Gathman, President Tall Trees - Deep Shafts On Thu, 30 Jan 2003 07:56:54 -0500, Phil Paskos [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Ahhh. Question? You did mean 4.6% grade didn't you? 46% is one of things I'd like to see. Phil
Re: Diamondhead Drawbar Pulling Competition Results
Are sanders allowed? How about Jetex assist? (do they still make those?) Sneak a motor drive in the tender? I knew there was a reason I wanted to go there. (VBG) Phil Diamondhead 2003 Drawbar Pull Results There were twenty-one locomotives entered in the drawbar-pulling contest held from 1:30 to 3:30 on Friday and Saturday afternoons. There were originally six classes but we found we needed to add two to make competition fairer. Classes were as follows: Class 1 - 4 drivered locomotives, Class 2 - 6 drivered locomotives, Class 3 - 8 drivered locomotives, Class 4 - Geared, Class 5 - Heavy Weight (K-27's and the like), Class 6 - Shays (thought there would be many Accu Shays to be entered hence the separate class), Class 0 - 2 drivered locomotives, and Class 1/2 - 1 driver locomotives. Class 0 and 1/2 were added as entries came in that didn't fit the first 6 classes. Class 6 was combined with Class 4 as only one Shay was entered. Here are the results: Class 1/2 1 Driver 1st Jim Sanders Steam Powered Tricycle negative 1 inch 2nd no entry 3rd no entry When the measuring device cable was attached it managed to move the tricycle backwards from the weight of the cable and was never able to overcome the horrific strain added by this. We need more competition in this category next year. Class 0 2 Drivers 1st John Clark Emelia 1 oz 2ndBill Shipp deWinton3/4 oz 3rd Peter FoleydeWinton5/8 oz There was another deWinton and a Grasshopper also entered. Class 1 4 Drivers 1st John Woodroofe Riesa 4 3/8 lbs 2nd John Woodroofe Samson 4 lbs even 3rd Chris Wolcott Ruby1 3/4 lb There were seven entries and the Cheddar locomotives proved to VERY powerful. There were several Rubys and Millies entered. Class 2 6 Drivers 1st Peter OelschlegerGungadin 4 3/8 Lbs 2ndChris Wolcott Lady Ann 1 3/4 lbs 3rd no entry Only two entries and the Class 1 winner pulled the same weight with two less drivers. The rest of you six drivered owners need to correct this next year. Class 3 8 Drivers 1st Steve HeseltonC-16 5 lbs even 2nd Arthur Cohen C-16 2 1/2 lbs 3rd no entry I guess you C-16 owners were caught napping or something as there was a lack of competition in this class. Class 4 Geared 1st Alvin Sadler WM Shay 5 3/4 lbs 2nd Jim Sanders MiCal Shay5 5/8 lbs 3rdJoel Neshkin Heisler 4 1/4 lbs I was disappointed in the lack of Shay entries. I had two I could have entered and won with but I know there would have been a cry of foul as the event organizer. Class 5 Heavy Weight No entries. I offered to make special times available for this class due to the difficulties of bringing entries to the line. It would have been interesting to compare DJB's and Accucraft's K-27's pulling power. Class 6 Shay Combined into the geared class and eliminated for next year due to a lack of interest. The next drawbar-pulling contest will be at the Midwest Steam-up this May in St. Louis. I will again have the electronic (accurate to .1 oz) track in operation there. Start tuning your locomotives now. To date no one has displayed any initiative to bend the rules like the NASCAR and Dragster people do. Seriously it's a lot of fun to see what your locomotive is capable of actually pulling and then comparing it to other models of similar configuration. Bruce Gathman [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Photos
Does anybody out there remember Rube Goldberg's Smokey Stover? This in that very best tradition. Great Stuff. Happy New Year! Phil Geoff, When Ron sent it this afternoon, I had to go back several times just to be amazed. http://www2.incredimail.com/multimedia/flash/new_year4.swf My Best, Chuck
Re: water level in glass
They are large enough, BUT don't do it. That could cause some major problems with flow and an accurate glass reading. Most of these glasses are not big enough in diameter to start with and as you run, the water tends to bob up and down especially on grades. Constant attention to the water level works the best here. Air bubbles tend to form in the small glasses used in Gauge-1 locos and the best test of accurate water levels is to check for the bobbing mentioned above. Phil These sight glasses for water levels, are they a large enough diameter to hold a small bead or such that might be read by an opticle sensor? I am new to most of this stuff but hey, just a thought... Dan McGrath _ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemailxAPID=42PS=47575PI=7324D I=7474SU= http://www.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/getmsgHL=1216hotmailtaglines_addphotos_3 mf
Re: Fn3
Ahh. Yes. At least we all run 45 mm for Gauge-1. I think. None of the Roundhouse Literature that I've seen tells you what the SR RL #24 is. It doesn't bother me and most of the LGB and USA rolling stock I use behind mine looks good to my eye. And that's all I care about. VBG - Phil - Original Message - From: Gary [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 5:14 AM Subject: Re: Fn3 So for #1 Gauge track, what scale should #24 be? 7/8n2 presumably! 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, eg. 20.3/45 Art Walker
Re: Fn3
Thanks . I missed this one. What is a Roundhouse SR#24? Remember the original was a narrow 2 foot Gauge. It's still my favorite G1 engine . Phil In a message dated 12/10/2002 3:03:20 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: What is Fn3? Phil, NMRA designated F as 1:20.3, so it is 3' gauge models in 1:20.3 scale - i.e. gauge 1 track with accurate scale models. The Accucraft NG steamers are all Fn3, including that beeaauuutifu K-27. Pete
Re: Steam oil
Please enlighten me. What is Fn3? Phil At last an intertesting comment. Oh yes the fishing is excellent. Large ones, small ones and some.. Starting to sound like a song from many years ago. OK Elk River Cheat Mountain RR. It started in HO as the first brass loco I bought was Elk River #3 and as I love Shays etc, in fact my nick name here in my 5 live steam club is the Shay Lover. Anyway Cass Scenic Railroad is on Cheat Mountain where there are Shays, Climaxes and Heislers, thus Elk River Cheat Mountain Railroad was born. In scales from HO, Fn3 and 5 gge. 73, John de VK2XGJ General Manager Elk River Cheat Mountain Railroad
Re: Steam oil
The 380 to 460 steam oil is fine for all hobby scales. Gauge 1 to 1 1/2 . Like all oils when it gets colder the oil gets stiffer. Phil Subject: Steam oil Hi All, I wonder what steam oil is being used in Gauge #1 and Gauge #0 loco's. I've been using some #460 steam oil that I acquired but it is just about finished. I have access to #600 steam oil but I think that that might be a little too heavey for my Roundhouse SRRL #24 loco. Comments please. 73, John de VK2XGJ General Manager Elk River Cheat Mountain Railroad
Re: R/C question
Walt; Good post. I never thought of using telescoping square tubing. Great idea. Plenty stiff and yet flexible going around curves. Have to try this . Phil Hi, Some thoughts and observations on R/C for alcoholicser alky fired loco's! The Aster Mikado is easy to R/C. I made a little fitting to go over the existing handle (much snipped)
Re: clearance
IF the powers that be agree to do the changes, the width will also be done. It will depend on how bad the active Gauge-1 guys want it. If they do, they will get enough support to do the job quickly and correctly. The part that will take the longest is waiting for the new grass to grow over the tunnel. Right know there are only a few who have equipment that won't work. If it's done I'd like to see it made big enough to accommodate 7/8 scale too. Phil I hope that the side clearances will also receive some attention ... we had to run my Tweetsie 10-wheeler on the inner track to avoid scraping the outer wall ... while only about 5.5 wide, the pilot beam is about 5 in front of the first driver, so the overhang on the curves into the tunnel ment caused some paint to be removed when on the outer track. Pete At 12:29 AM 11/25/2002 -0500, you wrote: The PLS (Pennsylvania Live Steamers) track was built in 1996. It's hard to believe that this was before Accucraft, but it was. Some of the new Accucraft Locos will not fit through our tunnel which only has 8 1/2 clearance over the railhead and is not wide enough to accommodate some of the Accucraft narrow gauge locos. There has been some talk about redoing the tunnel. Phil
Re: clearance
The PLS (Pennsylvania Live Steamers) track was built in 1996. It's hard to believe that this was before Accucraft, but it was. Some of the new Accucraft Locos will not fit through our tunnel which only has 8 1/2 clearance over the railhead and is not wide enough to accommodate some of the Accucraft narrow gauge locos. There has been some talk about redoing the tunnel. Phil Walt: Here in Las Vegas I was concerned with that same problem as I rebuilt my line. We measured the Bachman electric Shay at the foot boards and found them to be 6 inches wide. I measured the new Accucraft live steam K-27 during the National Summer Steamup and found the front end to be 6 inches wide and the widest part was over the cab window shades at 6 1/2 inches. And during my Fall Western steamup in October Larry Bangham's coal fired K-27 measured 6 1/2 inches across the front. I built my tracks with an 8 inch center to center spacing. As for height all portals, bridges support structures etc. are set at 12 inches above the railhead. Clark [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In anticipation of future traffic gains on the SWAMP RR, Mr. Lunkenheimer, CFO, wishes to expand trackage and install a passing siding and a switching yard. Is there a standard for the width of 1:20.3 locomotives? The switching yard will probably only have a 1 clearance (actual, not scale) between car sides. Are there any standards for car widths in 20.3? Keep your steam up! Walt, Mr. Lunkenheimer's associate PS If anyone out there will admit to having a Bachmann Sparkie Mogul, what is the overall width of the loco?
Re: Regner website
Interesting Site; If you click on the monetary box in the lower left, it gives all the prices in USD. Phil On 20 Nov 2002 at 19:31, Jeffrey Williams wrote: Regner has updated its English language website. Check out: http://www.mbv-schug.de/US-Online-Shop/ Note that this is not Regner's official site http://www.regner- dampftechnik.de/, but one of their dealers, MBV Schug. The owner, Lorenz Schug, is a fan of North American steam, as you can tell by the Accucraft Shay on his English-language page. -vance-
Re: gte has first run
At the PLS (Pennsylvania Live Steamers) our ash pits double as easy places to light alcohol burners. Set a mirror at a 45 degree angle so you can see the fire in the burners easily. Saves frying plastic ties too. Anyone in the Phila. area is welcome to our Turkey Trot Special Gauge-1 Run day next Friday the 29th. Bring warm jackets! Phil Phil At 12:43 PM -0800 11/20/02, Anthony Dixon wrote: And no ash pit either! ash pit? why would butane-powered engines need an ash pit? ;-) ... \dmc -- ^^^ Dave Cole Gen'l Sup't: Grand Teton Everglades Steam Excursion Co. Pacifica, Calif. USA http://45mm.com/ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] List Mom: sslivesteam, the list of small-scale live steamers mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ^^^
Re: supplier
They are a franchise deal. There is one here in Reading, PA. I also am satisfied with their prices and service. I needed some angle iron to build a couple of dollies for my 1 equipment and found them to have a good stock of material and a willingness to cut and trim metal for me. Steel, Aluminum and some brass in stock. Phil Hi, I've never done business with these people, but a friend here in Naples has and was satisfied with the results http://www.metalsupermarkets.com Keep your steam up! Walt
Re: Accucraft vs Roundhouse
Of course Tag is right about the RH's dropping oil between the rails. The first day I ran my SR#24 I found myself being concerned that the lubricator wasn't working correctly. When I checked the reservoir it was going down and the engine was working well. It wasn't until I took it off the track to put it away that I saw where the oil was going. Another point to consider is price. Is it fair to consider a RH SR#24 in the same way that you would a Ruby? Of course not. And the Accucraft Shay comes with it's own carry box as well as carrying a price tag that can't be touched by anyone else. Now if they only would produce an American style road engine in 1/32. Of course I've wished for that from Roundhouse too. Phil On 11/11/02 5:31, Phil Paskos [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: O.K. I'll bite on this one too. I've never seen any Roundhouse that spewed oil all over the track. Also, the expression runs like a Roundhouse is a compliment on their design and quality control that they deserve. Phil Hmmm. Mine do. As do any other make of locomotive once fitted with my chuff pipe. In fact the steam oil has to go somewhere and I prefer it to drop between the frames rather than out of the stack and all over the locomotive and trainbut then my rails are not electrified for LGB or similar plastic rats (ducks rapidly) :-) -- Yours Aye Tag Gorton Longlands Western Railway Trematon Office Saltash Cornwall Directors: T. Gorton, Madame E. Lash
Re: Pc vs Mac / RH Vs Accucraft
Sometimes things need to be stirred up to get some life in the list. It's your turn next. You've been kind of quiet lately. Of course DC is right about sticking to SS LS. Phil Well, you got yer Flack, Phil--but not from me--from our esteened leader--That'll larn you. I'm mighty glad Dave wasn't my Captain, when I was a Bootneck. And Tag, Bootnecks never argue with Stokers--they are the buddies aboard ship. Geoff. PS, Dave realises that the PC -Mac controversy could go on for ever!! You note that his PS gets the last word in--Clever chap!
Re: Accucraft vs Roundhouse
O.K. I'll bite on this one too. I've never seen any Roundhouse that spewed oil all over the track. Also, the expression runs like a Roundhouse is a compliment on their design and quality control that they deserve. Phil Chuck's My Best we should be arguing that Roundhouse is better than Accucraft OK Chuck, I'll bite. How is Roundhouse better than Accucraft? I was drooling over the new Accucraft Shay. If I am better off saving a bit more for a Roundhouse #24 or Forney, please wax eloquent and make your response reed with specificity so that I am convinced to save my money for a latter purchase of a Roundhouse. Gary - chilling in Eugene, Oregon
Re: Track Help for Ferdinand
For those who don't like the look of aluminum rail, you can use a product that we use at the PA live Steamers called Sikkens. It's a heavy paint like stain that we put on the plywood top, rail, and ties all at once. Wipe the top of the rail off after applying it. It comes in different colors. Choose your favorite. It is not cheap, but it does cover a lot of area. If you want to see what it looks like check my page at http://home.epix.net/~ppaskos/ and check the shot of my SR#24. It shows the way our track looks very well. Hand laying with cedar ties in the right area will work very well and give a long lasting realistic track. The Sikkens on the aluminum rail and cedar ties will add to the look. Phil Hi Bob Thanks for your experience. I am thinking of going the aluminum route - I have tons of cedar (our property is nearly all cedar trees and we have 3 cedar mills within 5 min drive.) so the ties are free - this makes hand laying the track appealing - I just wasn't sure if this made for reliable track. I am starting to discover that a level grade is a good idea. Should make for some engineering fun as nothing on our property is level (other than the middle of our lawn which would never fly with the rest of my family) Thanks again Cheers Ferdinand On Thursday, October 10, 2002, at 10:35 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Re: boiler insulation
Would it be possible to rebush the existing gear? Work ? yes, but not as much as building all new gear. Phil Dear Zbigniew, Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. To correct myself on the A3, there wasn't much play in the valve gear, it was in the reverser and the linkage to the valve gear, more for my satisfaction than the expectation of better running, as it it runs very well now. I did assemble a CS Mogul--the play in all parts of the valve gear was overplayed.--It was sloppy! There was one fellow, whose name I can't recall, who solved the problem by manufacturing all new valve gear! Probably the only way to sure success! I appreciate your input and experience on assembly and testing. Steam on, Geoff. Dear Geoff, Thank you for your kind words. As I elaborated on in another email just sent, I am still hesitant about the gap. Measurements convince me, although the extra amount of work and the need to shop for the components may be a strong counter-argument. I haven't decided yet. I have to remark that my efforts to keep every Joule of energy in place should make me a perfect Dutchman;^)! But as to my origins, they are more steam-and-narrow-gauge-land than under-water-land! I am most intrigued by your work on removing the play in the valve gear. I believe this is a long researched phenomenon in the CS Mogul, but I have recently been playing around with the valve gear wondering if the play of about 1 mm should not be reduced... (the steam inlets in the cylinders are about 1.5 mm!!) In effect symmetrical steam transfer is only possible in one direction (say forward) while the other direction will be strongly asymmetrical (only one side of the cylinder will receive steam). Surprisingly, air test only shows later activation of the movement in the asymmetrical direction, not a much more violent and irregular (un-smooth) running. In fact, for small openings of the reverser the running is very nervous and violent in both directions (symmetrical and asymmetrical steam inlet opening) to the same degree. This would mean that there is little practical need for removing the play, it would only shorten the dead region in the reverser range but not improve the running for small opening. Happy steaming! Zbigniew
Re: boiler insulation
Westabix packet? What's that? Phil Whilst it's quite possible to spend a small fortune on fancy materials for lagging, one that works very well and costs little is a cut up Weetabix packet. I kid you not. Mike
Re: Cleaning solutions
I've never liked Windex for anything other than cleaning windows and/or mirrors either. And I do use WD-40 for cleaning as you do. It leaves a nice shine on the loco and does remove oil and grease. And I also agree that it is NOT a lubricant. Phil Any of you using WD-40? I've used this successfully for years to clean the gunk and grit off of vintage motorcycles with great results and was considering using on my Forney. Seems to loosen off old oil and grit while leaving a protective residue that doesn't seem to hurt paint, plastic, or rubber. Of course I'd follow up with light oil for the bearings and bushes since WD-40 is not really a lubricant but more of a cleaner-protectant..Earle
Re: Flying Scotsman/coal firing
Geoff; I'm assuming you soak the charcoal in Kerosene first. One of the advantages to belonging to a club comes into play here. While you're waiting (impatiently) for the fire, you get to visit and chat with like minded souls doing the same thing. Mike Moore is the resident Gauge1 coal firing expert. You do pay very close attention to what is going on. When Mike started a couple of years ago, he had at least a half dozen different kinds of coal he played with. He has found that not even all the Welsh coal is created equal. Phil Tony et al, No wonder I have been unable to thin Aster paint! Isn't Trichlorethylene used in some cleaning sprays. I used to use it a lot which probably accounts for my condition today! The (blank scale) Britannia ran very well as I actually took time to lay a proper sized bed of charcoal and waited (impatiently) for it to burn to the right color before adding the coal. The compressed venturi nozzle I patched together worked much better for this loco than the blower fan ever did. Of course, the fire making applies to the smaller (blank scales) as well!--Alto' I believe the smaller locos are more tricky to fire. Paint again--the toughest paint jobs I've ever seen on a loco are those of Tom Cooper's on the Merlins! Geoff. Hi Geoff, You are correct again. I suggest one of Asters best kept secrets is their paint, prep and applications methods. And certainly a standard other suppliers need to equal. However Asters touch up paint as supplied, is too thick to blend, and I understand that the only usable thinner is Trichlorethylene with nasty fumes, not conducive to a long life!. It is, I believe now an OSHA no-no in USA. I tried to obtain some, to touch up several hairline scratches on a U1 for a friend of mine, but have not had any luck. Tony D. 06:30 PM 7/31/02 -0700, Geoff Spenceley wrote: Dear Tony et al, Tch, Tch You wrote: Details sound good. Especially if they copied the sight glass/pressure gauge (gage) layout from my Duchess!. Hope they didn't copy the paint job--you asked for it! You wrote again: I think a better improvement would have been if they had replaced the prototypical reverser screw jack with a quandrant lever to give better and faster access for adjusting the cut-off and immediate reversing movement. Also would have helped considerably when converting to R/C. Absolutely!! my reverser on those screw jack locos is the hand of God! You wrote again, again: I like the idea of external lubrication adjust feature. Does this have a drip sight glass also? Yer right.but the drip sight glass?- I'm the only drip around here! More info when I get the loco and more pints! Stay with it List! Wonder how many are getting the Flying Scotsman and are there any comments--especially from you Brits or Aussies? who may already have them up and steaming? I realise many of you have kits--I'm deviating this time and getting the built-up. It had better steam as well as my kits!! Ho, Ho, you say Geoff.
Re: Flying Scotsman
Hi Olde Buddee; I won't tell a soul. Phil What's the Buzz, tell me what's happening, What's the Buzz. Tell--- From my favourite musical! Anyone know when the Flying Scotsman will be delivered to purchasers in the US. Are they held in the hands of Hans??? We are all at his mercy. Ancient, impatient Old Geoff. PS. I'm steaming my 3/4 Britannia tomorrow. Using that good Welsh coal too. ---but I really shouldn't mention it on this list!
Re: boiler bushings
A bit of never seize on the plugs won't hurt either. Phil it's that the thread crests can overheat and be in danger of burning if exposed to the direct heat of the flame. I definetely agree with what Harry says and filling with a steel threaded plug works. Something not mentioned is: DON'T PLUG THEM ALL! Gotta have some place for the air to escape! When silver soldering it is very necessary to concetrate heat to your largest piece and only at the last minute to play the torch to the soldered area. I think this is the hardest part, as that takes patience.
Re: Tender Hand Pump
How small? Do you have dimensions for it? Phil Robb, The new 2002 Mercedez Bends 750 V12 has a very small stainless steel (no rust) return fuel pump on its fuel injector system that is ideal for water pump use for filling a boiler. It can operate with up to a 70 psi head and all it takes is a little 9V battery to make it run. The battery can run it for about 60 minutes continuously before it begins to slow down. That a lot of boiler fillings for a $1.50 battery cost. The pump requires two 4 mm screws to fasten it. It takes about 1 minute to fill a #268 boiler. It needs a 5 mm hose to connect it. This pump might be your solution. Arthur, Mexico City _ - Original Message - From: Gary Broeder [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, June 13, 2002 12:12 AM Subject: Re: Tender Hand Pump Robb, You could make one that pumps up and down. I recall seeing one in a past issue of Garden Rail. I have locos with cross wise and front to back, they both work fine. Forward to back is nice if you are between 2 rows of locos/trains. GaryB
Re: SRRL #24 problems
Interesting; I had no idea the Fowler has such tractive force. But, an 8% grade is asking a lot of any engine. My RH24 is still my favorite. Phil Vince This may not be part of your problem, but I found that the Power-to-Weight Ratio on the #24 is significantly less than my Roundhouse Fowler. I bought one but returned it because it wouldn't pull up an 8% grade by it's self (with no train) when my Fowler will routinely pull 3 or 4 heavy cars up that 8% grade. Even my Argyle Bantam pulls that same grade with a short train of light cars. Earl Martin
Re: MACHINING CAST IRON (was MATERIALS FOR PROJECT)
Casey; I'm not that familiar with the melting point of cast iron, but you could make a few bucks and help some fellow live steamers out if you could make cast iron wheels. I'm planning on building a Reading K1 in 1. It's a big project and a big engine. 2 of the drivers are box poc wheels the other 8 are spoked wheels and the pilot wheels are also spoked. Lots of castings needed! Phil Keith, Much thanx for the advice. I live in Maryland, about halfway between Washington, DC and Annapolis, and just south of Baltimore. I belong to the Chesapeake and Allegheny live steam club in Baltimore, so I should be able to find someone in the group with a lathe big enough to handle the initial cuts on the wheel castings. I spoke with the machine shop instructor of a local adult ed course a couple of years ago, but he didn't want to have someone in his class of beginning students going off on their own project. He wanted everyone to make the same set of nesting screwdrivers for the class project. No help there. A local community college has a machine shop program but all their courses are based on CNC machines, with emphasis on learning to program the machines. Not much help there, either. I've been doing some experimenting with scrap cast iron, seasoning it in the pottery kiln I use for my aluminum and bronze foundry work. The kiln heats up very slowly, taking perhaps 2 hours from a cold start until I can get out the first batch of molten aluminum (1200-1300 degrees F). The kiln will get to a maximum of 2300 degrees F after about 3 hours of use. Eight hours after I shut down, the inside of the kiln is still warm to the touch. I have some cast iron that I put in the kiln before my last foundry session and it got to be red hot while I was pouring aluminum. I left the iron in the kiln for a day after shutting down, so it took 8-10 hours or so to cool down to room temperature. I haven't yet tried to machine these pieces, which I hope are now of uniform hardness, no hard skin. If that works out OK I'll try the same dodge with some of the wheel castings in an attempt to alleviate the hard skin problem. My Unimat can handle a cut of about .004 in a 1 diameter mild steel bar without slipping. Based on that, I'm sure it will not work if I tried to horse off 10 thou of cast iron skin at one go. However, I can fit a hand crank to the spindle of the lathe which would give me enough torque to get through that much iron. I can expect to crank maybe 30 RPM max, which would be just about right for this job. Lots of room for experimenting, here. Casey Sterbenz From: Keith Taylor [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: MATERIALS FOR PROJECT Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 16:07:43 -0400 Casey, You should be alright with those choices, and you may have other options about doing the wheels. Does your local adult education classes have anything for metal working? If so, the cost of tuition gets you access to some industrial grade machines, and insructors love to find folks who are into machining as a hobby, and are actually building something! Nearby fellow Live Steamers can also be a good bet for assistance, off hand, I now forget where you live, but there must be some modelers nearby! I also think if you are careful, you could still machine the wheels on a unimat, others have done so succesfully. The big trick is to not try and take off teeny little bits, as you will ruin even a carbide bit. On the first cut, you absolutely HAVE to get under the skin, completely! Sure, that cut will be a little ragged looking, but it would if you were using a 13 South Bend Toolroom lathe too! Once the hard skin is gone, you can take light cuts of a couple of thous at a time, and get a fine finish using a round nosed tool bit. But for that firsst cut, you have to go deep, so the tip of the tool is in soft iron, and not hard surface crud, which gives yo an intermitant cut as well as trying to turn stuff as hard as glass! That's why you are slipping the belt, if you have to, file by hand a staring place to get the point of the tool under the skin. And remember, the skin is deeper than just the rough surface, you still need to go eight or ten thousandths under the surface, after breaking through the rough outer layer! Finf some old window sash weights, when somebody is getting replacement windows, you will find some great cast iron for free in those old window weights! Then practise cutting beneath the skin, and you can also supply your self with enough freight car wheels to last a life time, from one sash weight! and they are usually free! Let me know how you make out! Keith _ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com
Re: Lucas /off topic
I had an MG-B. The windshield wipers worked great until it rained. Then they didn't work at all. Enough already; Phil - Original Message - From: Phil. Paskos [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ahh Yes; The only reason the Brits drink warm beer is because they have Lucas refrigerators. o:) Phil Oh yes! I remember well my encounters with The Prince of Darkness! My MGB-GT was cursed with Lucas Electrics Keith Taylor
Re: 1/6 Formula and Exhaust Nozzle (was Slow spam down tip)
Ahh Yes; The only reason the Brits drink warm beer is because they have Lucas refrigerators. o:) Phil Tony et al, God, no excuse now--do you have beer in the 'fridge--lots?--but warm it first! That Roundhouse Elsa ! luverly--a b/d present from your wife--wotta lass will do to keep her spouse properly stabled! I shall visit GR # 93 which I have in my--hmm -where is it now? I have visited GR Specialists-near Henley on Thames, my birthplace. They are really getting into the live steam act. I was able to get lamps from them for the 3/4 Britannia and GNR Atlantic. Great service too. There is a website for interested list members: http://www.grsuk.com This is not an advertisement for personal gain! Now, having been born almost on the Thames--just in the mud, actually! I can fully understand why that Limey fell into the jacuzzi. If I visit please have the good sense to cover it!! Yep, I'm looking forward to July--all the steamer friends, you and Elsa, even if she is butane fired! 'fraid there won't be any Flying Scotsmen yet!! geoff
Re: Aster Reno
I wish I could ship you some. We are officially still in a drought, but I went to PLS today for a special steamup for some preschool youngsters and we had water from the Perkiomen Creek under Mercer Bridge. We did have a small rain storm last night.The track never got under water. Phil Hi, You are not alone, mine is 11 also. Keep your steam up! B.W. Lunkenheimer, CFO, The drySwamp RR (we need rain!)
Re: Butane valve leak
O.K. Gary; As far as I know, there is not a better one available. I try to keep a pair of needle nose pliers handy to tug on it if necessary. That works at times. I was steaming up at the cabin fever expo on a siding when one of Murray Wilson's alkie locos when by just as my last valve stuck. The ball of fire was quite impressive. Phil Thanks Phil, The valve itself is not resealing. The butane liquid squirts out of the stainless steel nozzle. No soapy water needed to test this one. I have wriggled it to see if it might reseal without success. You mention the valves are pieces of junk. Is there an alternative valve? I better order a couple spares. By the way, despite this being a friend's loco, I removed all of the smoke generating valves and tubing and the tank to hold 80 wt. gear oil. I hope to make a real water tank with a hand pump. Gary - Eugene, Oregon
Re: water input
O.K. I'm not sure what the smallest that will work is, but 1/8 O.D. seems to be about as small as I've seen. There is no way you can go scale here. Remember, some things don't scale. The water glasses on almost all G-1 live steam engines is to small to be really reliable. Meniscus of the water on the small glass gives non-reliable readings at times.There are a lot of opportunities to make your engines close to scale, but not in all areas of live steam. Golly, G-1 can't even make up it's mind about what scale to build it's trains at. Anything from 1/20th or so to 1/32 seems to available. Phil Phil, Jim, Mike et al : Thanks for the input re input water. So . . . next question. If the water input pipe is to be exposed to view, what would be the smallest OD/ID pipe advisable ? royce in SB
Re: water input
It's not a dumb question, but first let's make sure where front and back of the boiler is. The back is where the water check valves go. Mostly they are in the cab area of the loco. Normally in the larger G-1 engines, you'll find 2 fittings that look alike. One is from the axle pump( if one is fitted) and the other from the tender hand pump. The output of the pump must be able to over come boiler pressure to get water in the boiler. Thus they are fitted from low to mid height to avoid pumping cold water into the area above the crown sheet where you would be killing the pressure in the boiler. I'm not sure this is the best way of putting this, but it should be close. A device called a goodal valve can also be used to put water in the boiler. These are fitted higher and can even be in the top of the boiler. A squeeze bottle with a strong pump will work here. A better way is to use a trackside pump mounted in a tray of water. Some things have to be sacrificed scale wise to get these small live steamers to work. Phil Hi listers. This may be a dumb question, but where does water from an axle pump actually go into the boiler ? Or for that matter, from a hand pump in the tender tank ? It would seem that in our scales, a fitting on the front of the boiler mid height would be out of scale if functional. Thanks. royce in SB
Re: Regner steam engine/currency topic
This is slightly off topic, but I think would be of use to a lot of members on the list. http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html The above URL brings an up to date currency calculator on your screen. Put in the money values and get a very quick and accurate value of British pounds to U.S. dollars for example. Phil I have discovered a small mallet to be made by Regner. Total price is $2010.43 as near as I can figure converting Euro dollars to US dollars. Regner 20850Kit 99633 Wรผrttembergische Tssd, USD $1765.65
Re: sslivesteam-Digest - Number 805
I know this is off subject, but Norton also does a great job in cleaning up cookies and other internet garbage. You'd be amazed at how much disk space you can recover by running Norton and speeding up your machine. No I don't work for them. Phil (snip.snip) by Symantec. I have tried McAfee and Norton, I like Norton's features better. They both do an admirable job of protection. A bad day running trains beats a good day at work! http://home.earthlink.net/~jess3599/
Re: sight glass fittings
Rishon Locomotives makes the Mason Bogie that uses LED's for water level control. A member of PLS has one and it works fine. In Sunny weather he does shade the light to make sure he can see it. Phil Harry, I had an older stationary boiler and steam engine many years ago which had a glass window at one end of the boiler. The boiler diameter was probably similar to many gauge 1 boilers. If the back head did not have many appliances, could something like this work? Also, the latest gauge 1 magazine (another fantastic issue!!) had a neat article on a coal fired boiler and hit on some electronic water level lights. Does anyone have any experience with this concept for water level indication? J.R.
Re: Mason Bogie Re: sight glass fittings
Sulphur Springs distributes these in the U.S. Give them a call. Or E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phil Do you have a web address or e-mail address for Rishon Locomotives? I am VERY interested in Mason Bogies! Cheers Michael Florida USA Iron Nut
Re: Cylinder gaskets
As Geoff knows; We're both O.S. fans, so we're used to good finishes and fitting parts. Phil Jim, Phil et al, I knew you were a bloomin' conniving genius, Jim--that is the best solution yet!! -But I'm too honest, so will you send me the gasket material??--I'll do the cutting up and return the gaskets to you!! Phil, I had used your suggestion for repair of my compressor. I use Permatex Copper gasket . It's reddish in color and seals well and yet if you must take the covers off, can be pealed off easily and it's good for heat in excess of 400 degrees F. I worried about using it for locos,--too hard to remove at a later date, but your statement removes that worry. Thanks. Geoff. Gang I learned the US dollar bill trick from Doug Patman(sp?) in Canada. Cautioned me to use only USD. BTW Kevin, you can cut up 48% of the bill, take it to a bank, and once they see it is over 50% there... they will give you a FREE replacement. So your 30 cents goes to ZERO. And Old Spencely won't have to sneak in Queenie's bag looking for gasket material. Jim === At 10:10 AM 04/17/2002 -0700, you wrote: Sir Art wrote: Don't you guys have laws against doing this ?? Art, We don't have the Queen's head on our bills. Memories!-I used to visit the Queen's Head in Richmond- and drink the King's ale!! Next time, Kevin, to my wife's purse and a buck bill. Cost--zilch!! Geoff. - Original Message - From: Kevin Strong [EMAIL PROTECTED] I've had good luck by cutting gaskets from dollar bills. And if I need to replace them, you get two or three sets out of one bill. Makes the cost around 30ยข per set.
Re: Coal firing
And I'll bet you didn't even bite the dog back! Get well soon Olde Buddee! Did you notice a hotter fire than with the older coal you used to use? Most do. The good news is that here on the East Coast is that there are 2 sources of the stuff now. Glad to hear the Britannia is treating you well. Phil Hallo Tony et al, I keep missing these steamups--Clark's too--It's my wife's fault for being born--the family comes from far and near on her birthday to sympathise over her marriage! It wasn't MY dog that bit me and I'm still infected--more so than my normal state! I haven't started barking and foaming yet, I only manage to get my locos to do that. It was lovely firing the Britannia with good Welsh coal--no clinkers, light on the smoke, hi on the steam Dam the antiboitics and dack to a hot poltice! Geoff.
Re: That Forney is a Fairlie (or a Mason Bogie?)
Roundhouse insists that it's locos run on small radius track. I suspect that is why they cheated on the Forney design. Phil Was there any real difference in basic design between a Mason Bogie and a Single Fairlie - or is a Fairlie by definition a double-ended device? Just curious. Farlies were made in both double and single versions and are known as such. It clearly raises the possibilty that Roundhouse may be thinking of producing a Double Fairlie... I doubt this but. Sam E
Re: PM Research boiler/Cheddar boilers
Cheddar will build a boiler to your specs. Price? Check their site as shown below. http://www.modelsteam.co.uk/ Phil Thanks Steve Keith for the comments about the PM Research boiler. Keith, if I may ask: what I'm considering isn't too different from the beautiful Goldbug you're showing on your site now, except that the GAGE would go cross-wise rather than lengthwise on the chassis on standard-gauge track. Did you use a stock boiler on Goldbug? Is it adequate steamwise? I have wondered whether a Cheddar boiler would work, but I can't find them listed as available separately nor have I been able to find their exterior dimensions. David
Re: Quest for Coal
For those in the Eastern part of the U.S., try Veniza Enterprises, Inc. in Jackson, N.J. Phone 732-364-0994. email : HIGHIRON@AOL They sell the Welsh Dry Steam coal in bean or small nut sizes by the 44 pound bag at $18.00 per bag in N.J. or by the ton (50 bags) at $15.00 per bag. Mike Moore used this at cabin fever expo in his John Shawe coal fired Aster K-4 with very good results. Phil Hi John, Thanks for your coal update. Do you have a contact you could share for your new coal find. I have been looking for a source for my Black Adder.
Re: Steamlines Shay/Source of gears
If you can find an old adding machine, they have a lot of small high quality gears in them. I'm not sure if the ratios would be good, but. Phil. P. where to get appropriate gears?
Re: 5 or 2
The general consensus around S.E. PA( freezing temp. in Winter) is to either fill completely or keep empty. Empty is best if the boiler is not subject to high humidity areas where condensation can form in the boiler. Like in Florida. or even Se PA in the summer.Full is obviously not good if subfreezing temperatures exist. If you choose to fill completely, I'd hang a visible tag on the loco noting the date of the filling and drain and refill at least 4 times a year. Highly recommended is the use of LSB 8000 boiler treatment to keep the boiler clean and even clean up healthy but dirty boilers. Blowing down the boiler at the end of the run day is always a good thing to do. If you really want expert advice, check their website at http://www.terlyn.com/ Phil.P. This brings up a point I've been wondering about. Is it better to drain the boiler after each run day, or fill it to the top, or just let is stand the way it was when you dropped the fire. Obviously there is a difference to be considered re boiler material, but what experiences can you guys relate? I'm somewhat more concerned about the ferrous boilers on the 7.5 loco's at the Depot, but the recent experience with the shay that had been partially filled with water for 10 years wasn't exactly an endorsement for partial filling! Keep your steam up! Mr. Lunkenheimer's associate (Walt)
Re: New Bio/safety valve tests
You can test the safeties with a cold water hydro test. Fill the boiler with water and pump pressure in it. The safety should lift within 5 PSI of where it's rated. The only thing wrong with this test is that it does not guarantee that the safety will drop the pressure fast enough to keep it under the maximum rated pressure. Cold Vs hot is not significant. Checking the boiler to 150% or 200% means plugging the safeties or holding them closed. I prefer to plug them. This may be more than you wanted to know, but it does answer the question. By the way, A calibrated gauge should be used to check the engine gauge to make sure they are the same. Frankly we don't do this to Gauge-1 engines. Phil.P.. (snip...snip) On a small-scale topic, do each of you test your safety valve while raising steam? The British style have a post projecting from the top that you can grab with pliers and tug on. This verifies that the stem is loose and that it will seat again after closing. I've seen other types that just have a hole in the top -- how do you test those to make sure they're going to open and reseat? -vance-
Re: Lowest PRACTICAL outdoor operating temperature?
40 degrees F. is about as low as I feel comfortable in. I can get away without gloves and my butane fired locos still work well. Phil.P. I would like to know what you all think or believe is the lowest PRACTICAL outdoor temperature that you would run steamers at. I'm thinking in terms of not freezing your fingers off, or running for warming up yourself, and partaking in the normal operational style. I know that someone will say that they got it all running indoors and then took it out and ran, but that is like the guys in the polar bear club jumping into the icy lake. Mike Eorgoff near Chicago
Re: Cylinder vs. Axle Alignment
By the way; You can highlight the URL when you are there and use the edit /copy command. The when you type your email message, you can paste it in the message to avoid any errors in the URL address. Phil.P. Trent Dowler wrote: Ok, how do I get around using html mail? Some things I understand, some I don't. Instead of trying to put a link in the message, just type the URL into the message. When you try to send a link, windows is being stupid and attaching a file.
Re: Accucraft C-16 excessive steam oil usage
I'm sure I'm oversimplifying the problem. But I'd look for a way to put a restricter plug or tube in line to slow down the oil distribution. Respectfully; Phil.P. (much snipped) Now to figure out what to do about the excessive oil usage. Also be warned that any C-16 that intends to run on my track will have to have the stretcher rod removed before running here. A clean track is a happy track. Best Wishes for the Holidays Ya'll Clark
Re:Wada Works A-4 Camelback 1st Report (LONG)
After a very long wait I received my WADA Works Camelback last week. Specs: Alcohol fired; 'D' valve Steam Chest; Stephenson Valve Gear; Kadee Couplers; R/C Mountings?;( I have some experience with R-C but how to do the reversing gear has me - so far) Tender with Hand pimp; Also Goodall filler valve on boiler Axle pump. 1/32 scale(appears to be very close) Water Glass Pressure Gauge Appearance: The engine is very nicely done and is close to prototypical in appearance. The paint on the roof should have been black. The Reading Railroad had some locos with Brown roofs, but not like this one and none of the Camelbacks had roofs like this. The quality of the machining is very good . The setup and execution of the reversing gear and the axle pump is very good too. The lights are just begging to be made functional. The tender is another story. He used screws all over the place which detracts from the appearance a lot. The fit of the sheet metal is a disgrace compared to the engine. The bright spot here are the trucks which are tremendous in appearance and function. The hand rail on the tender came through bent. I straightened it sort of. It's very difficult to handle without rebending it. No coal load was supplied. I have a picture on my home pageat http://home.epix.net/~ppaskos Operation; Roof is hinged and makes it easy to get to reversing gear and boiler filler. The wicks are easily gotten to and are probably too long. I had trouble with overflow of the wick cups. (my first alkie burner) Paul Quirk showed me how to adjust the tube in the alkie tank to stop that. Problem solved. Gets steam up easily. Cylinders load very easily and needs to be pushed to clear. (Break In time?) Engine would not keep pressure on the first 2 runs without keeping a bit of blower on. (Any Suggestions?) The third run it seemed to run for a bit without the blower but then lost pressure. Without the blower it chuffed nicely and gave a nice plume in 80 degree + weather. The third run was made with a 6 car coal hopper load and a Pennsy(sob) caboose. Come on MTH. I need an Eastern style 1/32 caboose. Runs were fairly long. I did not time them. The weather at PLS(Pennsylvania Live Steamers) club was glorius Sunday with low humidty and 80 degrees. Conclusion: Overall I like it. It's not perfect and would not be recommended for a beginner at all. There is no manual on literature supplied . You get the engine and the handle for the tender pump which is fairly efficent by the way. Phil.P. Reading,PA.
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Re: AccuCraft C-16
I think Aster had better start keeping a very sharp eye on Accucraft. Everytime Aster announces a new engine with the prices going so high, More and more people will go Accucraft. And with reports like this, Accucraft may already be winning the war. And we are the winners! Phil.P. Reading,PA. Subject: RE: AccuCraft C-16 Okay, Vance, and list, here is my report/opinions of my new C-16: Some background: Almost year and a half a go I first talked to Charlie and Bing at Accucraft to confirm the rumors that they were indeed considering producing a live steam version of their electric #42, 2-8-0, C16 (Much snipped)
Re: Turn On the Lights
Do you have enough room somewhere for a toolbox on the front or side of your engine? They look like they belong and it's easy to open the lid to put the battery in of your choice. Phil.P. Reading,PA. I would like to add a headlight to one of my live steamers. Space is tight - I can't fit a AA battery and on/off switch. A AAA battery would be a squeeze and hard to get at. I am looking for a bulb/battery recommendation from the list. For example, would a watch battery work? How long would it last? Are battery holders available? There is a good electronic surplus store in Cleveland so I should be able to get small bulbs. All recommendations welcome. Don _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
Re: PLS Memorial Weekend Meet Report
Hi All; The big bummer was the rainiest Saturday anyone ever remembered at PLS for their Meet. I mean it rained all day hard. We needed it as it has been fairly dry here for the last month, ButSunday made up for it as the smiles returned and the tracks filled with trains. I do mean filled with trains. Watch the signals and the guy in front! I didn't get a count of the trains there, but the big turntable was full as were the tracks. And we had 4 main lines of Gauge-1 track running. Those hardy souls stretched a canopy over the steam up area on the big track and got some running in on Saturday. The trains got wet, but the operators stayed dry. Well,sort of any way. I didn't get an accurate count of the Gauge-1 runners either. Mike Moore brought his portable track as well as the big track with some added turnouts for more storage and more convenient turnouts for getting from inside to outside loop. One more to add and then finish the special Gauge-1 storage building. That'll be neat because then we'll have the Quirks nice turntable to use. More train storage area! You can't get enough. By the big fall meet, where we hope to see a bunch of list regulars, all should be ready. That one will be Sept1 and 2. More soon on that one! Phil.P. Reading,PA.
Re: Ruby - How about a sight glass?
It still is. Sulfur Springs sells it. It does help as does the angled painted plate in back of the glass. You know the barber poll look. Phil.P. Reading,Pa. At 04:48 PM 5/29/01 -0700, you wrote: Harry et al, I have often wondered why manufacturers dont make the tubing and glass of larger dia Geoff, They do, in every imaginable size. It's borosilicate glass and it's the same thing that's used for laboratory equipment. Pyrex Red Line is one of the best known and for a while they made it in sizes that could be used by live steamers. They still make gauge glass for all types of full size aplications but I don't know if Red Line tube is still made in small sizes. Cheers, Harry
Re: Boiler water level; Rubys and others (very long version)
This is a very good explanation of what happens and should be part of an FAQ. Any one who is fortunate enough to be around the larger scales 1 and larger can observe the water expansion that Kent describes fairly easily as their glasses are larger and they all have relief valves to get more accurate water level readings. Phil.P. Reading,PA. Thank you to Harry Wade, Clark Lord, and Jeanne Baer for raising the zippy question in the operation of small scale live steam locomotives. Harry originally wrote that in his experience a '' low water condition produces freer steaming thus the locomotive gets zippier . I agree as far as his observation goes, and I will explain why I think that he is right, but the question that I was directly answering was As a fellow post asked, how do you know when to refill the boiler (Ruby) and by how much. I believe this question and my subsequent answer are congruent and I stand by it. (much snipped) Best regards, Kevin
Re: Boiler water level; Rubys and others (very long version)/Whoops dept.
Whoops! I called Kevin Trent. Sorry Kevin. Phil.P. Reading,PA. (text snipped) Best regards, Kevin
Re: CYLINDER PORT FACES
In the U.S. Permatex makes a sealer called Ultra Copper that takes high temperatures and that I've had good results using. I've found it in hardware and automotive supply stores. Phil.P. Reading,PA. Casey asked: 2. Is there some other goo stuff out there in the market that might more conveniently/safely be used when fabricating cylinders with separate port faces?
Re: Ruby side value success - How about a sight glass?
Most sight glasses are solid at the bottom and have a hole through the top that you drop the glass through. Put an "O" ring on the top of the glass and then screw in the plug. Phil.P. Reading,PA. (snipsnip) So, does anyone have any thoughts on adding a sight glass to the Ruby? I have a goodall valve in mine, but can't judge the amount of water well. Too much and I'm pushing water, not steam, though my cylinders. Not as efficient as I'd like. . . From photos of other live steamers, it seems the upper end could be taken at the turret on top of the boiler opposite from where the pressure gauge attaches. That would only require one new penetration into the boiler. There did not seem to be a lot of room for it unless it is attached at quite an angle to the right. If the thickness of the backhead at the burner is an indication, could a small hole be drilled and tapped directly into the backhead or is a brass fitting required? (Brazing in a brass fitting there would be a bit of a chore. . . ) How does one attach a glass anyway? Two connections linked by a solid object makes screwing them in impractical.
Re: Pic of the New Accucraft Shay
Their Site lists a pre-production price of $1,399.00. Phil.P. Reading,PA. Has anyone heard a projected price for the Shay? Nice looking engine, but it doesn't appear to be detailed to the point that it demands a high price. Later, Trent "Charles W. Walters" wrote: A Picture and description of the new Accucraft Shay has been posted on their web site. Expected delivery, Fall 2001.
Re: Ruby burner
Hi Walt; You said examined. Does that mean cleaned? Rig a piece of silicon tubing to the jet itself and blow some fresh butane through it. You can also put a fine piece of wire through he jet, although some say this is bad practice. If it appears clogged, blow through the jet backwards to clear the clog. Phil.P. Reading,PA. After reassembling my Ruby following boiler cladding, etc., I'm having trouble getting the burner to light in a satisfactory manner. The flame seems to billow out of the smoke box when the gas is lit. When cut back to contain the flame within the flu, the result usually is a flame out. When operated before the mods took place, the flame was robust and remained within the flue. All aspects of the supply chain, the control valve on the butane tank, the line to the jet, the jet itself, and the burner have been examined and nothing seems to be amiss. Any suggestions? Walt Gray Oakville, ON
Re: sslivesteam-Digest - patterns
Harry and others; An alternate idea. Anyone who has patterns they want to make available could add what they have to a list. Those members of this forum could check the list and contact the individual about how to "Rent" the patterns. With e-mail today that would probably be faster and more convenient anyway. Respectfully; Phil. Paskos Reading,PA. (much snipped) So based upon your offer of the donation of your pattern, I propose that we create the Garden Gauge or Small Scale Pattern Pool. Comments? Nominations for first custodian? Regards, Harry Wade Nashville, Tn
Re: The Joy of the Mikado Axle Pump
Try some heat; A propane torch should help. DO NOT get carried away. Just a little. And the obvious is to make sure the screw driver really fits. Phil.P. Reading,PA. (PS You ready for the Blizzard?) Hi, The Mikado Axle Pump kit has been a real treat so far. I am trying to get the screws off the eccentric rod assembly. Mine seem like they used the serious threadlocker and they won't come off. Did anyone else have this problem? If so, how did you remove the screws? Thanks and stop laughing -- Regards, Joe Betsko Pennsylvania USA Bala Cynwyd Railway: http://jsb.pennsy.home.att.net Primer for Novice Live Steamers: http://www.gardensteamers.com/tips.html Share Live Steaming Tips: http://www.gardensteamers.com/exchange.html iMac - Hey, I don't do windows!
Re: Forney kit information
Vance that is Nice! Almost too nice. The wood in the photo looks like it belongs on a piece of fine furniture. I wasn't even aware of the pilot kit which I also like. Phil.P. Reading,PA. Live steam fans, I have posted the Official Publicity Photo of my Forney conversion kit on my FHPB web site (link below), for those of you who are interested in seeing the final product. The first kits are almost ready to ship. I'll have more detailed technical and ordering information in the next day or two; I can send you details directly if you can't wait. I'll also link a PDF file with the instructions in the next week or so, so you can see what you'd be getting into with the kit. If you need further information, please contact me off-list. regards, -Vance- Vance Bass FHPB Railroad Supply Co. 6933 Cherry Hills Loop NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/fhpb/
Re: somewhat O.T., Photographing our engines [was: Russia Iron (was Forced repaint)]
Trent and list; The person who has "THE" knack (imhm) is Hans Shuyler (SP) . He gets the backgrounds that don't make the trains look like they're in a out-of scale setting. Close ups with grass always look wrong as a for instance. Flowers look great but are out of scale for our trains. Phil.P. reading,PA. Ferdinand, Yes, the interest is here for a web page about photographing our little engines. Seems no matter how hard I try, I always end up with a "toyish" look. Sonni Honneger's (sp?) photo that appeared in Garden Railways a while back looked so good that I had to look twice to see if it was his engine or he was trying to sneak the real thing past us. After talking to him at DH about the photo, I learned that there is a lot of prep work for just the photo. Later, Trent Ferdinand wrote: Maybe if the demand is there I should set up a web site on photographing small steam locos outdoors with simple yet highly effective tricks of the trade.
Re: Russia Iron (was Forced repaint)
http://victorian.fortunecity.com/lion/829/articles/boiler.htm Isn't it interesting that if you look at the pictures that accompany the article, that they are obviously effected by the lighting. I think Vance's color descriptions below describe them the best. The above article is written the way I wish I could write. Nicely done. Phil.P. Reading,PA. Regarding the Bachmann "baby blue Russia Iron" -- if you haven't read the article referred to earlier, you should (if you have an interest in the topic). It's a contemporary engineering-oriented account that should set the record straight. There wasn't any baby blue Russia Iron. Gun blue, or bluish gray, perhaps, but not baby blue. Russia Iron was light blue the same way sea water is blue, by reflection only. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Wheels
Hmmm; I was wondering about the wear factor. I kind of thought that for the smaller Gauges( Gauge1) that the alloys might be fine but that they would wear on the larger gauges rather quickly. Guess I was wrong again. I reckon we'll have to run some hardness tests on these materials and see where the wear/traction line should be drawn. Then you have track material to contend with. I think I'm opening a can of worms here. I don't have any hardness gages anyway. Could be interesting though.(VBG) Phil.P. Reading,PA. Hi, Saw some really fantastic wheels for 7.5" rolling stock this week at Larry Smith's steamup. All steel, CNC to a great profile, and about the same price as cast wheel blanks that need to be machined out. Every 7.5" operator I've talked to reticently admits that the alloys and gray iron wheels eventually need replacing. The same seems to be true of the smaller O gauge wheels that were Zn castings, especially the older spoked wheels. As I get more and more into Lionel with the Depot project, the more I shy away from anything that is made of Zn or its alloys. (SNIP ...Snip) Keep your steam up! Walt Lunk
Re: Wheels
All Right; Who will be the first one to go prototypical and install sanders on their Gauge-1 Loco. Super traction! But, talk about wheel and track wear. It's beyond my meager talents. Just a suggestion. Phil.P. Reading,PA. (SNIPSNIP) As far as adhesion/traction is concerned, I'm surprised that Gauge 1 people don't put traction tires on their locomotives! Any comments? Should I don my flak jacket? Keep your steam up! Walt
Re: Wheels/Traction and melting ties
On the real and practical side; At PLS Paul or Harry Quirk will grab a foam mop head and some alcohol to rub the tracks down a couple of times a day while the guys are running. Seems to work well. Harry also carries a piece of aluminum that fits between the rails to use for those relights of alcohol burners to avoid melting the plastic ties. Phil.P. Reading,Pa. Who will be the first one to go prototypical and install sanders on their Gauge-1 Loco. Super traction! Hey, I heard that wish expressed several times at Diamondhead! After a day or two, the rails get coated with steam oil and water, and you could really use something to give you some grip. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: I got dem ol' lowdown Layout Blues
Hi Salty; Someone else mentioned this, but I'll reemphasize. Try the Sharpie Permanent markers. They will rub off and alcohol will remove them too. But they are "more" permanent than any other markers I've used. Phil.P. Reading,PA. I agree with this, I have been using magic markers in place of dykem for years. Magic markers can be obtained in a number of colors and you can put the mark right where you want it. The down side is that it comes off much easier than dykem. Maybe someone ought to get the two companies that make these products together and have them make a marker filled with dykem. Of course it would probably be like the magic markers that I forget to put the tops back on that dry out. Getting old and forgetful is the pitts. :-) but retirememt is great. Salty CCBW
Re: Northeast Steam-up
Chuck and others: In turn; No running the different gauges is not a problem. The Gauge 1 setup is completely separate from the larger gauges. No. PLS on meet days is like a giant circus. There is so much going on that even if you have to wait a while to run, you can watch and the kids, if you have any, can ride behind the large scale stuff. So can you. We have electricity at trackside and have rigged extra portable lights for night running. The meet gets going unoffically Friday and goes through Saturday and Sunday. We have a large sit down meal that you order tickets for Saturday evening across the street at the Fire Company. PLS is not only a wonderful place to run trains, it's also a park where people come to picnic and relax in the well maintained grassy areas. There are no hotels/motels within walking distance of PLS. Since I live about 40 miles from there, I don't know the best most convenient places to stay. I'll have to check on that and get some feedback on about how many want to come. Then we can set a block of rooms aside. All are welcome to come on either of meet days. Phil.P. Reading,Pa. Phil, I thought of Labor Day, but was thinking that it might be too much with the Fall meet going on. 75 to 100 possible attendees to that meet is a lot. Would the simultaneous running of the different gauges be a problem? Would one detract from the other? On the flip side, Labor Day would give people Monday for travel. I am up for it and will even help coordinate. Chuck Walters
Re: Gas - the other kind/ kinds of coal
Hi All; Walt is correct in his assessment of "pure PA anthracite". It does not work in our steam engines. Once a year, PLS gets a large dump truck and goes to a special spot in the coal regions. They bring back enough coal so that those members who want it have coal to burn. It's a mixture of several coals and seems to work well. That is all I know about that coal. My own personal experiences of running with coal is nil. That will change this season as I have 2 engines that can run on coal. Neither are Gauge 1. Dave Knowles is a long time large scale steamer from NJ who shared his many years experience of using coal with me last year as I helped him unload his 1 1/2" train. His procedure mirrors Tony's outlined below. There is one thing Dave does not like. His experience shows that standard charcoal briquettes leave a coating that is difficult to remove in the firebox. He uses pure charcoal. He gets it at gourmet cook shops. Mesquite I think. It does cost more, but in the amounts he uses, doesn't feel it's a big cost factor.I wonder if any of the other listers have found a glaze or coating in their engines? I have to get away from using propane you see. Geoff insists! Phil.P. Reading,PA. Hi Walt, You are correct. The actual firestarting procedure is with kerosene soaked charcoal brickets, and as fire and temperature picks up you start adding keresene soaked coal or anthracite. Spreading thin even layers over the fire. By watching the flame colour and steam pressure increase, you gradually add dry coal or anthracite. With a good drafting fan, I can raise running steam in about 10-15 mins. Also I remove the draft fan at 25lbs pressure and allow engine blower to pull up to 60- 80 lbs pressure. Above 25 lbs pressure the engine blower is more efficient than the fan. After one lap of track, 300' , I close blower entirely. The fire is drafted sufficiently through the firebox grill underneath. If pressure drops below 20 lbs while on circuit, the engine blower will still raise the steam without the fan. I typically run about 4-5 300' lap circuits before adding more coal . i.e. 2-3 shovels full. Shovel is approv 1" x 3'/4" wide x 1/8" deep. I load immediately behind the firebox door. Then while running the coal moves forward. If you load to the back of firebox, you will block the firetubes with cold coal. My longest running time has been 1 hr 20 mins, then I called it a day. Next engine will be radio controlled. Hope this answers your question. Tony D. At 08:42 AM 1/20/01 -0500, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, For all practical purposes, I left PA when I granulated from grad school at PSU in 1960. Have only been back there for funerals, and the only one left now is mine. THEREFORE, I really do not have any idea of where or how to get PA coal. I do know that most live steamers in the area do not use it! My recollection is that hard coal is difficult to ignite and difficult to keep burning i.e. the Reading RR work on the Wooten system. I personally have never fired a Ga 1 live steamer with coal. Maybe I'm naive about this, but wouldn't charcoal and a very little amount of roofing or road tar be easier to use. Quick starting briquettes were impregnated with wax to make them easy to ignite. If they were impregnated with a little tar, they would give the smell and color of real coal, and would be easy to ignite and easy to procure. So what am I missing here? Why has charcoal not been used in Ga. 1? And don't say it is because the briquettes won't fit thru the fire door! Keep your steam up, using the fuel of your choice! Walt and Lunk
Re: Northeast Steam-up, Parking
Hi Salty; Yes. We have a large parking area and an area set aside for campers/ trailers. A lot of the large scale do just that. We don't have any pads or hookup facilities, but essential bathroom facilities are available. Hope you can make it. Rosey is a beauty and we'd be proud to have you at PLS. Phil. Reading,PA. In a message dated 01-01-21 10:07:26 EST, you write: There are no hotels/motels within walking distance of PLS. Phil - I am going to be wandering around the country aboout that time, Is there a place to park a 27' fifth wheel trailer? I would be interested in seeing this place and maybe running Rosey. Salty
Re: Gas - the other kind/coal types
HAH! Geoff. I know you better than that. You're way to smart to mess with something that works and works well. I don't care what you're using. If it gives you good results, use it. If what you're using doesn't work or work well than start looking for other resources. When Mike Moore got his John Shaw (SP?) conversion, it ran flawlessly until he ran out of the sample coal he got with the loco. He's been trying different local coals and has not found anything that works(unless he was at Diamond Head and got it working there). Phil.P.Reading,PA. Thanks David and Phil, Now I am going to have a nervous breakdown firing my locos because I'll be worrying about using the proper coal. --and I know, after perusing the site, it can only get worse! This can get so dam complicated! Ah well, fortunately, at my age, I'll shortly forget what I read --and in no time at all, will be blissfully using the mix of the various grades? of coal that share the corner of the garage with the spiders. Soft, hard, shiny, dull, black, grey--you name it--same as the spiders. Thanks anyway!! sort of! Geoff.
