who's got the bug?
Hey, folks, This is off-topic, but please don't junk this note. I need YOUR HELP as a member of the SSLiveSteam list. Every couple of weeks, I get a note from some small-scale live steamer, warning me that they have received a note from me infected with the Klez virus. It ain't me! I have seen a similar complaint here about Brandbright, who as we have heard rarely use their e-mail, so it ain't them, either. I would really like to find the machine that's infected with this virus, and help them get rid of it, but I'll need the help of all of you. It's someone who has me, Brandbright and many of you in their address book. You MAY be the one with the infected computer! Here's the story about Klez: It infects Microsoft Outlook. If you use Outlook or Outlook Express, please check your system for the virus. It spoofs the return address when it tries to send itself out. That means that it sends itself to someone in your address book, and it forges the return address so it appears that someone else in your address book sent it. This makes it much harder to track down. It doesn't seem to do much (any?) direct damage to your computer, so you could have it for months and not know it. Some variants also apparently suppress virus scanners that try to look for it, so your normal virus scan may or may not detect it. There is a scanning and removal program that eludes this suppression, which you can download free from http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]. If you think you are a candidate -- that is, you use Outlook and you are a small-scale live steamer -- then I ask you especially to get this removal tool and check your system over. Thanks, everyone, for your help in ridding our group of this nuisance! regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: who's got the bug?
Clark, interesting theory, but I don't think he's the one. That's because Klez doesn't trash your system (although if your system is vulnerable to Klez, it's also vulnerable to something that would), but also because someone sent me a note today saying he'd gotten an infected note with my name on it. So, if Kevin's been clean for two weeks, it must be someone else. Spread the word! And check your shorts, er, hard drive. -vance- Is it too much to demand? I want a full house and a rock-and-roll band, Pens that won't run out of ink, and cool quiet and time to think. Shouldn't I have all of this, and passionate kisses? - Lucinda Williams
Re: Frustration with order faxed to Brandbright
Matthias, Schau mal nach http://www.reppingen.de/liefer_prog/zuruest/ber_frame.htm. Ralf Reppingen hat LGB-kompatibele Kuppelösen aus Metall, und antwortet Deinen e-mail sofort. best regards, -Vance- Vance Bass FHPB Railroad Supply Co. 6933 Cherry Hills Loop NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 USA http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/fhpb/
Re:suggestions
On 26 Nov 2002 at 15:48, James Curry wrote: 2. How about a FAQ's page Jim, and all, I'd be glad to add questions the group deems frequently asked to my list. The one about brass boiler bushings (and other boiler parts) is a good one. Are there others that need covering? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: clearance
Is there a standard for the width of 1:20.3 locomotives? Hey, Walt, I took the DRGW clearnace standards from 1955 and scaled them down to 1:20.3. There's a copy of this drawing at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/vrbass/images/DRGWstds20.3.gif. This doesn't tell you how big the models are, but it does tell you how much clearance an accurately scaled model of a large DRGW loco would require. I hope that helps. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Fabricating cylinders: Screwball or practical?
Dan, I had forgotten the part about using bronze bushings for the cylinder bodies. Thanks for reminding me (us?) of that detail -- it would sure make a difference not to have to bore the cylinders from bar stock. I really wish Gordon had written up that technique! regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
RE: Fabricating cylinders: Screwball or practical?
Hey, folks, I missed the original post here. It must have had something in the subject line that I'm filtering out, like enlarge your or urgent and confidential. So, what's the idea again? Send it to me off-line, if you don't mind, unless I wasn't the only one who missed it. thanks, -vance-
Re: Fabricating cylinders: Screwball or practical?
Thanks, Mart, for sending Steve's post. Steve, Gordon Watson (Argyle or AUS) gave a talk on fabricating cylinders several years ago at the Diamondhead Steamup. Many of his ideas were similar to yours. He took a chunk of brass rod (say, 1), milled off a flat, and drilled port holes into the flat. He then silver brazed a brass bar to the flat, also with steam passages milled/drilled into it, to make a steam saddle. Not prototypical, but simple, looks close enough, and apparently works. Several people (including Ron Brown, I believe) asked him to take his sketches and write a few words around them for an article, but it never happened. Some people would rather build than write about it, which I have to respect. The short answer to your original question is: Practical. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
instant Aster collection
Here's your chance to acquire an instant Prestige Aster Collection, thanks to eBay and somebody who bought a bunch of high-end locos and never even ran them. (He states this with an air of pride) Daylight http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=1788615613 Big Boy http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=1788615613 Makes you wonder (well, it makes ME wonder). -vance-
Re: Suspension
TrotFox mentioned that RH and other locos are esssentially 0-4-0s. The folks who have applied equalization to their chasses say that those engines pull like mules over any kind of track because ALL of their drivers are in contact with the rails ALL of the time. Your essentially a 0-4-0 is actually a 0-3-0 or even 0-2-0 when on uneven track, reducing traction even more. The book with all the tips and techniques of called Flexichas by Mike Sharman (ISBN 0860930726). I got my copy from a hobby shop in California, named (I think) International Hobbies. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Suspension [was; Re: Boxpok driver model preview]
All those drawbacks of scaling springs is why a lot of modelers prefer equalization without springing. This is done in scales as small as H0 and it's not really that difficult from what I've seen (I haven't done it myself yet). regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
RE: Project Locomotive
There were only two 4-4-0's in the 21 drawings that I looked at. One was a tiny Mt. Gretna loco with 34 drivers, which scale to ~45mm dia. at 1:20. The other 4-4-0 was VT #25 with 62 drivers. Steve, Even these drawings are not of much use for 1:20.3. The Mt. Gretna loco was a 2-footer, while the VT was a standard gauge line. You could do the Mt. Gretna engine in 1:19 for 0-gauge track, and you could use the VT engine for your 1:32 std. ga. loco. The Calif. RR Museum has a full set of plans available for the 3-foot gauge Sonoma, if you're looking for something to do in 1:20.3, and Model Railroader published a scale drawing of the Eureka three or four years ago. But, as you mentioned, a scale jump is basically impossible without replacing a very large number of really essential parts. Oh, well regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
re: Project Locomotive/wheels
The last time I looked at the Woods product list, the only US narrow gauge casting he had was for the C-16. That's good, but it doesn't cover much territory. Has he expanded the narrow gauge line? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: sslivesteam-Digest - Number 956
I don't think anyone was proposing to make a 1n36 (1/32nd scale, 3' gauge) 4-4-0 from a std gauge loco! Oh. Well then. So what was being proposed was a set of plans that would build two different but basically identical locos, one standard gauge in 1:32 scale and the other narrow gauge in 1:20.3 scale? I must still be missing something. This looks to me like a plan that lets you build different but basically identical cars -- one a Humvee and one a Toyota. Is that the plan? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: boiler insulation
Wool felt was the material of choice among builders in the UK way back in the good old days. I have used it on a couple of locos and it works well and holds up (surprisingly) well. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: American Project
However, I do agree that a 4-4-0 steam engine could easily be converted from 1/32nd std gauge to 1/20.3 NG, just by changing the cab size and adjusting a few details. This brings up an interesting possibility. Converting standard gauge locomotives to narrow gauge (or vice versa) was accomplished by moving the wheels from outside to inside the frames (or vice versa). Since you have to remove the wheels and replace the axles, you would want to replace the wheels with some of the proper type (no. of spokes, no crankpin boss, etc), thus answering Art's concern. Now, we're still talking about a 4-4-0 type, right? There were very few outside-frame 4-4-0s made, but they're very interesting locos. The 30 gauge E. de F. Oeste de Minas in southeastern Brasil, now a preserved line, still has a couple from Baldwin in operating condition. They're lovely little kettles, and would be extraordinarily charming as scale steamers. They also have outside-frame 4-6-0s and 2-8-0s, any of which I would love to have in small- scale live steam. But I have noticed that some people don't care for exotic prototypes, even if built in Philadelphia using US practices. So, you may not find the notion of an outside-frame 4-4-0 appealing, in which case I think this idea is not going to be very productive. You can't just bang the wheels closer together on the axles -- there are frames and valve gear in between which will hamper that operation. So, back to the original topic: what are the impediments to doing a standard gauge, project type 4-4-0? Just the willingness to undertake it, I would say. The G1MRA Project Book should give most of the general construction methods, and it would be up to you to modify them to suit the prototype. Not a screw-together kit, but doable. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: American Project
On the subject of open 'bar' frames - what happened to brass etching? You can't find anyone in the US to do it, though there are plenty of people in the UK who can and will do it for you. Bar frames are really not that complicated, however. Kevin Strong showed me how easy it was to convert Roundhouse plate frames to bar frames by drilling four holes at the corners of a frame opening and then cutting the rest out with a Dremel cutoff wheel. I did this on my RH frame without disassembling it. If you're talking about mass production (whatever that means in this tiny niche market), then you open up the possibility of laser cutting, water-jet cutting, or CNC milling. These are pretty inexpensive, and the costs get better the more you produce, since the setup costs usually are about twice the cost of one set of frames. Cut ten sets and 20% of the total cost is setup. Cut 100 sets and the setup is only 2% of the total. I have done this on my (still unfinished) C-25 and Soni Honegger's C-21; Jim Curry has done this with a couple of different Maine narrow gauge designs. There's no magic to it, and the skills required are all around us. Regarding Pete's suggestion: because 1:20.3 is pretty well supported right now, there's not nearly as much need to develop something else in that scale. Accucraft's offerings trade the money earned by your relatively high-valued labor for their low-valued Chinese labor, which means that it's hardly worth doing yourself. (If you're between jobs, it's a good economic decision to build one yourself, however. :-) On the other hand, 1:32 is very poorly supported, and the only available live steamers are shockingly expensive, though quite beautiful. A lower-cost, DIY standard gauge project would probably find some enthustiastic takers. But it's also possible that the high cost of Aster locos has already driven all the potential builders into narrow gauge, so that no one who's interested in 1:32 will bother to build one themselves. Interesting marketing research problem regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
RE: An American Lady
Question. If it was intended as a observation platform for the switching/shunting engine crews, why was it not a flat plate type And if only for switching, why was it carried on long distance engines Anthony, you are confusing the two loco types mentioned, I believe. He was talking about shunting engines having only platforms or steps for the train crew, while road engines have the cow-catchers. We certainly hear the term cow-catcher here in the US, and I would readily believe that the phrase originated here. I think it was more of a popular term, however, rather than a railroaders' term. Railfans and historians call them pilots because that is what the railroad industry called them. For example, Modern [sic] Locomotive Construction, published 1892, refers to a wooden cow-catcher drawing as a wooden pilot of ordinary design. The front bogies which guide the loco into curves are pilot trucks, the wooden beam across the front of the frame is the pilot beam, etc. So, what Tom wants for his conversion is to remove the buffer plate, and replace it with a pilot beam, and either a pilot or steps for the brakeman to stand on during switching maneuvers. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Fwd: American Edelstaal Unimat
If you can help with this, are interested in buying it, etc., please e-mail me or Eric directly for the sender's e-mail address. Thanks. Vance --- Forwarded message follows --- Subject:Fwd: American Edelstaal Unimat Date sent: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 16:49:21 -0500 From: Eric Schnoebelen [EMAIL PROTECTED] The following landed in my mailbox. Hopefully, someone here can help out. --- Forwarded Message I am not even sure you know anything about what I have - but hopefuly, you can help me I have and AMerican Edelstaal Unimat with probably every accessory made that has never been used. It is from the the 1960's. I am trying to find information about it. Do you know anyhtning about these machines? thanks JoAnn DeMars --- End of Forwarded Message -- Eric Schnoebelen[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.cirr.com Geek Dictionary: Prairie Dogging - When someone yells or drops something loudly in a an office full of cubicles and everyone's heads pop up over the walls to see what's going on. --- End of forwarded message ---
Re: confirmation
There's a steam-powered cycle in the Phoenix (AZ) City Museum. I hesitate to call it a motorcycle, since it was a high-wheel bicycle with a one-lunger attached to the frame, but since all early motorcycles were bicycles with some sort of engine attached, I suppose it was. I miss L.M. Boyd. Interesting, if true. -vance- Is it too much to demand? I want a full house and a rock-and-roll band, Pens that won't run out of ink, and cool quiet and time to think. Shouldn't I have all of this, and passionate kisses? - Lucinda Williams
Re: An American Lady
Tom, Good start on the Lady Anne! Now that you've taken care of the top part of the locomotive, the bottom looks that much worse, though. Removing the metal front and rear beams and replacing them with wood beams and US style couplers will make a huge difference! And, of course, a more somber paint job. I have never understood why the proper Brits painted their locos in cathouse colors, while the wild-west Yanks did theirs up in black or olive green. Go figure. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Sammy exhaust tubes
Mike, this is the case with my Lady Anne kit. Probably they shouldn't be wiggling around _too_ much, but a little wiggle doesn't seem to affect the performance. Appears to be a design feature, or something so insignificant it's not worth redesigning. -vance- Is it too much to demand? I want a full house and a rock-and-roll band, Pens that won't run out of ink, and cool quiet and time to think. Shouldn't I have all of this, and passionate kisses? - Lucinda Williams
Lucinda (was Sammy exhaust tubes)
Geoff, I should have known better than to give you that opportunity! You're always making the rest of us feel inferior ... I think I'll go downstairs and have a milk on the rocks. -vance-
Re: Methanol
Let me clarify, or possibly refocus, the conversation. Some people are asking about methanol, or methyl alcohol. What is typically used in live steamers is denatured alcohol, or methylated spirits (also called meths). This is ethanol, or ethyl alcohol or moonshine or Everclear, with a couple of percent methyl alcohol added so it's unfit for drinking. Using methyl alcohol is not necessary, nor is it even desirable, probably. You know how your eyes burn if you stand too close while you're filling your tank with meths? It's way, way worse with pure methanol. The MSDS for methanol classes it as moderately irritating to eyes, lungs and skin. So, given that it's more unpleasant to work with, more expensive and harder to find, I'm not sure what the attraction is. Is there a chemist in the house? Is the heat production per unit volume a lot greater than ethanol's? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Methanol
Shellac thinner is 95% denatured anhydrous methanol, and it should be available in hardware or paint stores. In the quart or gallon cans they sell, it's quite inexpensive. -vance- Is it too much to demand? I want a full house and a rock-and-roll band, Pens that won't run out of ink, and cool quiet and time to think. Shouldn't I have all of this, and passionate kisses?
Re: turpentine
Hey, there's no telling what all goes (went) by the name turpentine. I remember, when I was a preschooler, being given a spoonful of sugar and turpentine to cure some sort of ailment I had. This was on the advice of my great-grandmother (born 1898). It was not taken from the tool shed, but from a bottle with a drugstore label on it. On the basis of that experience, I doubt you will have an easy time tracking down just what it was that you used at some time in the past, thinking it was turpentine. Heaven only knows what it could have been. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Lead weights in a Ruby/Forney
On 5 Sep 2002 at 11:45, Walt Gray wrote: Any comment on the effect on the lead of the temperatures in the smoke box? I predict it won't last long. I optimistically (and foolishly) tried putting a whitemetal (tin+lead) number plate on my first Ruby, and it was gone before the safety blew. How about brass weights? -vance- There are two ways to make a person homeless -- destroy his home or make his home look like everyone else's.
C-16 pilot
I have just made an interesting discovery for C-16 owners. The wood pilot kit I developed for the Mason Bogie scratchbuilding project at mylargescale.com fits the Accucraft C-16 perfectly. It's a medium-length pilot, so somewhat more modern than the long one that comes on the 42, but more old-fashioned than the ones found on the modern C-16s (wood rather than boiler tubes, longer). Perfect for a turn-of-the-century C-16. And, of course, the beveled wood staves are much more attractive and realistic than the too-thin, rectangular metal bars of the original. I have put a picture of it at http://mywebpages.comcast.net/vrbass/fhpb/c16/C- 16Pilot.jpg. The pilot is still under development, so it's not available yet, but if you're interested contact me off-line and I'll keep you updated. best regards, -Vance- Vance Bass FHPB Railroad Supply Co. 6933 Cherry Hills Loop NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 USA http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/fhpb/
Re: Goodal Valve for RH Lady Anne
On 15 Aug 2002 at 22:09, Matthias Warmbold wrote: Where could I get a Goodal (or Clack) valve for my Roundhouse Lady Anne Matthias, I'll let one of our Roundhouse dealers answer this question definitively, but I strongly suspect that the top-off valves for all the RH locos use the same thread. It just makes sense, and the folks at RH are sensible people. Of course, they may have discovered some reason not to do so, but I'd be surprised if this were the case. -vance- There are two ways to make a person homeless -- destroy his home or make his home look like everyone else's.
Re: Goodal Valve for RH Lady Anne
On 16 Aug 2002 at 14:02, cgprod wrote: Anyhoo after the sad loss of Bob the service has been carried out by another USA operation . maybe Vance knows who this person is . The operation is still Sulphur Springs Steam Models, and the web page is still at the same place: http://sssmodels.com/. It was taken over by Tom and Diana Eakin, who have done a fine job for me when I've needed things. Look in their catalogue shows three different threads: 1/4 x 26tpi, 32tpi and 40tpi. I believe the RH boilers are threaded 40tpi -- someone please confirm or deny that. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Sulphur Springs
I owe Tom and Diana Eaton an apology for mangling their name in my previous note. I have no excuse for misremembering it, nor for not looking it up if I wasn't sure of it. It's Tom and Diana Eaton who are doing a great job at Sulphur Springs Steam Models. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: roundhouse argyle conversion
Are you sure it was an Argyle? There have been several Lady Anne conversions, and I think Kevin Strong's 4-coupled loco was from a Billy (?) -- but I haven't yet heard of an Argyle American conversion. Seems like it would be a pretty complete strip-down and rebuild -vance- There are two ways to make a person homeless -- destroy his home or make his home look like everyone else's.
Accucraft and build-to-order
Odd ... I went to the Accucraft site looking for pricing and reservation information on the live steam K-27. Nothing. On the other hand, they have all four models of the live steam C-16 listed as in stock -- I thought I remembered seeing those listed as build to order only a short while back?! -vance- There are two ways to make a person homeless -- destroy his home or make his home look like everyone else's.
bummer of the day
The last Small Scale Steam Hobbyist came today. Note that I didn't say latest. Ernie slipped a strip of paper into the magazine announcing that he's going to stop producing it -- lack of resources. If my experience is any key, that means spending too much time on the magazine and too little doing my own modeling. Too bad -- the mag was really starting to hit its stride. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
a couple of interesting things
Manfred Meliset sent me a copy of the March 2002 Garten Bahn magazine from Germany, which has a couple of very interesting articles for us live steamers. The magazine is currently running a scratchbuilding series for a logging mule very similar to the BAGRS Project loco. This one is completely scratchbuilt, however, and includes a ceramic burner. Pull-out pages with full-size drawings are included in the center of the magazine. Second, GB reprinted a review by Peter Jones of a ready-to-run live-diesel switcher (actually, 4-stroke glow-plug) by Barry Reeves (Pilgrim Loco Works). Barry has done several such machines (e.g. Detritus), but as far as I know this is his first commercial one. It sounds very similar to the IP machines that came out a couple of years ago in extremely limited quantities. Here's his web page, courtesy of the 16mm society's links page: http://www.geocities.com/pilgrimlocomotiveworks/ Alas, it has only one, very small photo. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Goodall valves (was: Re: Tender Hand Pump)
On 14 Jun 2002 at 12:37, steve boylan wrote: Okay, I can't stand it anymore: can someone please point me to sufficient information about how a Goodall valve works so that I can understand why they're so all-fired wonderful? A well-done working drawing would be particularly helpful! Here's one: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/vrbass/images/GoodallValve.gif regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Tender Hand Pump
Arthur, that's a very interesting discovery! You mentioned battery cost, but not the first cost of the pump. I'm suspicious, since German car parts tend to be quite expensive, but the Aster hand pump is about $100 so it could also be a good bargain by comparison. What's the cost? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Ruby Forney conversion
This is a brief commercial announcement, which I hope is of general interest. Please junk it, if not. In case you are interested in converting your Ruby to a Forney type, the FHPB conversion kit is available again in a slightly different form. I have simplified the production of the kit by eliminating some of the really time- consuming production, which makes it possible for me to keep offering the kit and to lower the price. In turn, the builder has to provide some brass angle and square tubing, as well as some small screws. There is a little more cutting and drilling, but it's all simple stuff. Finally, the bunker wrapper is not punched with simulated rivets, but a printed template is provided so you can do it yourself if desired. This revised kit is not listed on the FHPB web site yet, since I need to revise the description and instructions. You heard it here first. The new price is $95 postpaid in the US. Please e-mail me off-list if you have further questions. -vance- Tapping one's toe in time with a piece of music while sitting on a modern carpet can induce +/-10 volt potential change on a can of Spam five feet away. - The Amateur Scientists' Bulletin
Re: SRRL problems
On 31 May 2002 at 16:08, Vince Gortner wrote: lifts the safety at 20 PSI on the gauge, nothing is binding, and I don't see any steam escaping past the cylinders or anywhere else. It seems to run quietly, with not too much of an exhaust chuff. Vince, It sounds to me like you're just not getting enough steam due to a misadjusted safety. It shouldn't lift until 40psig on a Roundhouse. You can adjust this by bending a paperclip so the ends will fit into the little slots on the top edge of the valve body. Turn clockwise to tighten, no more than 1/4 or 1/2 turn at a time, and see where the safety lifts. When it's at about 40psig, couple on four or five cars and have a go at it. If that doesn't help any, I would suggest getting a new safety. I believe Sulphur Springs carries replacements, and any of the Roundhouse dealers should have or easily get them. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: sanddome,steamdome
On 31 May 2002 at 14:06, Jun wrote: I am looking for sanddome and steamdome which is suitable for Ggauge live steam loco. There are several possibilities: 1. make your own with a lathe. Hiraoka-san's books show how to do this with a small lathe and simple tools. 2. Trackside Details makes several sizes of domes in American style. You can order their parts by mail from Sal-Val Trains http://www.san-val.com/, or from Caboose Hobbies http://www.caboosehobbies.com. You should contact them to see if they can send the parts to you in Japan, however. 3. Accucraft Trains sells domes from several of their American style locomotives. San-Val and Caboose Hobbies also sell these parts. I hope that will help. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Slip rolls and shears
Gordon, thanks very much for the description of setting up the shear! I'll give it a go. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
brakes and shears (was pinch rolls)
I checked my jewelry supply catalogues to see what rolls they might have, but it wasn't much help. Jewelers tend to impress patterns into wire or bar stock when they roll things, and otherwise they shape metal around mandrels. So, no slip rolls. However, the Rio Grande Jewelry Supply catalog lists a 20 long metal-bending brake for $38.95 (item 1116-225). It screws to your benchtop (or to a board you can clamp to your bench). Looks like a good deal Speaking of these tools, I have one of those Chinese brake/shear/roll combinations. I consider it a pretty good deal, but I must say the the shear leaves a little to be desired. Or, maybe, the operator leaves something to be desired. Does anyone have a procedure they can share for setting up such a machine? I know I need to shim the blade at some points to get clean and consistent cuts, but I have no idea what to measure and how much to change it. If anyone can point me to some instructions for doing this procedure, I'd sure be grateful! -vance- *** Doesn't it make you wonder? ***
Re: pinch rolls
The Rio Grande Jewelry Supply catalog lists nickel silver sheets in packages of two 6 x 12 sheets (i.e., a square foot) or individual 6 x 12 sheets. Available thicknesses are .016, .020 and .025 in two-packs and .032, .040 and .051 individually. The prices are comparable to what they charge for similarly sized brass sheets (e.g. starting at about $29/sq.ft. for the .016). Imagine my surprise when I got to Albuquerque and discovered that they were located here! I can just drive across town and pick stuff up at the will-call counter. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: kit bashing
Gage 1 is wrong !?!?! Maybe I got the wrong group? I didn't say gage 1 is wrong, but the scale is wrong. About 99% of the G1MRA model in 10mm/ft scale, or 1:30. The correct scale, if you take 45mm to be 56.5 standard gauge is 1:32 (or 1:31.9, if you're using decimal points). The gauge is what it is. I assume you had your tongue in your cheek there regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Ida / Ruby novice questions (long)
Hi, Mitch, Glad to hear you're having fun with your Ida. I'll take a shot at some of your questions. have to negotiate tight curves down to 24 inch radius. The Accucraft page lists the min. radius for the Ruby family as 24 inches, so you shouldn't have to do anything else, such as the articulated pilot beam. That's a pretty radical move, and one that will IMO look funny, and won't be prorotypical. But since it's not necessary, you don't have to worry about it. An article in SiTG talked about re-routing the steam pipe back through the flue instead of underneath the boiler after it leaves the lubricator. If I convert to a radient burner, is this modification still worth the trouble? The goal of this modification is to keep the steam from condensing in the open- air line between the throttle and the cylinders. There are other ways to do this, such as insulating the line (Larry Herget uses athletic shoelaces, which can be slipped over the line). I simply clamped the line to the bottom of the boiler with the boiler bands, which still permits some heat loss but also transfers heat from the boiler barrel to the steam line. How much lagging is enough? Anything is better than nothing. Any heat you can keep in the boiler will result in a little less gas you have to put into it, which will result in a longer run. On the prototypes, there was two or three inches of lagging, so your model should have about a tenth of an inch. Some 1/8 cork, felt or ceramic wool, plus some .005 brass, would give you about three scale inches, for example. Insulating the cylinders and backhead will improve efficiency, but you have to decide whether it's enough to justify the extra effort. I am pondering if it is worth it to try to modify the decorative saddle tank to actually hold water. I would need an axle pump, and goodall valve, to pump water from the saddle into the boiler, right? Or, many locos have a hand pump that you work once in a while to keep the level up. Strictly speaking, you wouldn't use a Goodall type valve for this, since that design is for sticking a rubber tube into. You'd need a proper check valve, I think, and piping that on a finished boiler is going to be difficult. The Goodall type valve you have should do you fine. On the other hand, it's known that adding some weight to the Ruby will increase its pulling power. I don't believe anyone has done any tests -- since you're about to do it, why not add a little at a time and see where you stop gaining pulling power? That would make a welcome article for SitG, I think. What is the correct pressure to run this engine at? My Accucraft 30 PSI pressure gauge is constantly venting steam. I've read that the spring in this gauge can be stretched to increase the pressure. If your gauge shows 30psig and the safety is blowing constantly, then either the gauge is faulty or the valve is set too low. I suspect the latter -- this has been a common complaint among Ruby owners. The spring-stretching exercise John Thomson devised should take care of that. 40psig gives good performance, is still controllable, and is well within the stated design limits of the boiler. How much heat can a thin insulated copper wire withstand? When I add RC, I want to also power the head backup lights. How does one run a wire from the batteries in the cab to the headlight without having the plastic insulation on the wire melt all over the inside of the smokebox? You're going to have to route the wires as far from the boiler flues as practical. The flame will consume the insulation instantly, and the wire will go quickly thereafter. Do as they did on the real thing: use a piece of conduit pipe to shield the wire, and run that along the top of the boiler insulation to the headlight. If you can find some Teflon-coated wire, that will withstand the heat better, but if you use it remember that exposing Teflon directly to flames results in phosgene gas, the stuff that killed great- granddad in the trenches in WWI. I hope that helps some. Have fun! -vance- *** Doesn't it make you wonder? ***
Re: Ida / Ruby novice questions (long)
Insulation is one of things which doesn't scale properly - you need a lot more than scale thickness to keep the wrapper down to the same temperature Definitely the case. But since you'll need a whole lot more than prototypical, and since we're not so concerned with fuel efficiency as the real railways, I suggested using a scaled-down prototypical thickness for appearance sake. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: kit bashing
I had enough trouble bending the brass sheet for the jacket. (Me without my handy slip-roll.) I've been going thinner and thinner with my boiler jackets, and am now using .005. This size requires no slip roll, and if you have insulation underneath with boiler band around, it should be plenty sturdy. I don't know what thickness Soni Honegger used on his fabulous K-27, but it was quite thin. He took in out on his gravel drive and walked on it, then flattened out the dents to give a well-used appearance that is stunning. He couldn't have done that with anything thicker than about .015, I think. This is not to say you have to mangle your boiler jacket, just that very thin material is sufficient, and if you have to use a slip roll it's thicker than you really need to have. On the other hand, if you anneal it well, you can form thick brass by hand over a piece of PVC plumbing pipe, coffee can, or whatever approximates the final diameter you want. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: kit bashing
The gauge 1 magazine had a small article on rolling sheet metal I vaguely recall that, but since I _do_ have a slip roll, I didn't file it away like I might have otherwise. If you are not a member, you really should be. Agreed -- even though the scale is wrong, the attitude is right. (Ducking the brickbats thrown by 10mm modelers on the list.) regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
a simple vaporizing burner design
Folks, I got a most interesting e-mail today from a fellow who read my pop-pop boat page and thought this might be useful in a pop-pop boat. I think it's way too powerful for most of the boats people use, but the design looks extremely promising for small-scale steam locomotive use! Basically, it's just a vaporizing burner, which have been used on little steamers for decades, but the innovation here is using soft drink cans to minimize the complexity and cost of fabrication. The instructions etc. are at http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/overviewpepsiGstove.shtml. The mini instructions may be better suited to JvR Type B or Type C designs. Give it a look. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: [AccuCraftRuby] Re: New Ruby - Update
The several RC setups I've seen discussed for the Ruby/Ida had mentioned the extra steps necessary to hook a servo up to the Johnson bar because of the detents sic? that lock into forward and reverse. It had never occurred to me to just remove the bar and hook the servo directly to the throw. You have to be careful about hooking the servo directly to the reversing lever. The detents are there, in part, to restrict the range of motion, as there is otherwise nothing in the reversing valve to regulate the piston's movement. I think you'd be better off modifying the stand the Johnson bar rides on. Either file away the bottom of the track so the pin on the lever can travel the full arc and stop at the ends, or remove the pin and put a couple of screws through the body of the stand that will stop the travel of the lever at the proper places. (Copied to the other lists where this topic has been raised recently.) regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Butane valve leak
I keep a spare valve on hand, too. I made a purpose-built screwdriver from a piece of .020 brass. I cut a strip .5 x 1.25, and into one end I cut a notch approx. .075 wide and .150 deep (not critical dimensions). This slips over the neck of the standard Ronson valve and into the slots on either side, and lets you tighten or loosen it without buggering up the corners with pliers. -vance- Doesn't that make you wonder?
Re: Lots of strange non-steam emails
If so, could the sslivesteam address book have come into evil hands? Yes, I've been getting a fair number of messages with no body, and attachments that Norton AntiVirus identified as Klez32. It takes advantage of security holes in Microsoft Outlook to spam everyone in your Outlook address book. So, whoever has it has sslivesteam in their address book, and they don't even know they're sending mail. Go look at www.symantec.com, choose security response and read up on it. Outlook also tries to preview anything attached to it, a nice feature that means it will run the virus for you and infect your system even if you don't open the message or run the attached program. It's a great little program, all right. If you use Outlook and don't have an up-to-date antivirus program installed, it's only a matter of time before you get one of these viruses and start spamming the rest of us with it. Please get a new mail program and/or an antivirus scanner immediately. -vance- Doesn't that make you wonder?
Re: Lots of strange non-steam emails
Bob, Norton doesn't complain when it's in your in-box, only if you try to execute it or save it to disk. Whenever I suspect a virus, I try saving it to a floppy and see if I get a message. If so, then I make sure to junk it. -vance- Doesn't that make you wonder?
Re: sight glass fittings
glass window at one end of the boiler. could something like this work? I've seen this done on several different designs, most relevantly (to us) the Aster/LGB Frank S. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Mason Bogie Re: sight glass fittings
Do you have a web address or e-mail address for Rishon Locomotives? You should always be able to answer a question like that at http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/steam/steammfr.htm. If not, please let me know about the omission or error and I'll correct it. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Cylinder drain
http://www.~tdowler/ssls/draincocks.gif. If you have trouble loading the image, click the refresh button. If you have trouble loading the image, it could be because the URL is incomplete. :-) Should be http://www.grnco.net/~tdowler/ssls/draincocks.gif It's not clear to me from the drawing (which is scanned small enough that a lot of the text is illegible to me) exactly how this works. Specifically, how does moving the pin open the valves? Can someone who grasps this help me overcome my slowness? I think Kevin O'Connor had an article with a somewhat different design in SitG a couple of years ago. His was for a Ruby, and looked quite a bit simpler than this one: it involved milling a shallow slot in the bottom of the cylinder casting, in which a sliding shutter covered or uncovered holes drilled into the cylinder bore. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: adapter
I am looking for the adapter for filling Ruby's butane tank from butane cartridges. Please let me know it. Jun, when you write cartridges, we think of the small metal bottles (for example, 100ml) used for refilling cigarette lighters. These should have adapters included. (The ones sold in the US do, and I assume it's the same everywhere, but that may not be true.) The larger cans used for camping stoves (350ml or larger) must have an adapter. You can get these from Sulphur Springs Steam Models and other live steam suppliers. Go to http://www.sssmodels.com/, choose Burner Parts, and look for Gas Filler Adaptor. This is the part you want. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Thin Steel Sheet
I get it from Grainger, as Jonathan suggested. The .005 brass is about $15 for 6 x 100 -- that will do a lot of boiler jackets, tenders, saddle tanks, wrappers for tank cars, etc. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Cylinder gaskets
Instead of the trip to the bank why not go to the auto supply where you can get the Permatex and auto gasket material too The way I heard it, someone (Bob Paule?) once commented that gaskets for little steamers were so expensive, you'd be better off cutting up dollar bills to make them. Although it was a joke, someone tried it and it seems to work. Wisdom emerges in strange ways, I suppose -vance-
West Lawn Loco Works
Does anyone know what's up with Pete Olsen's web site? It appears to be offline, but everyone else who links to him also thinks he's still at http://www.locoworks.com. thanks, -vance-
Re: That Forney is a Fairlie (or a Mason Bogie?)
I believe it's a single Fairlie. Mason's design also included a bizarre (my opinion only) valve gear arrangement that hung over the boiler on a yoke, with reach rods dropping down to the cylinder level. The Mason Bogie is a type of single Fairlie, but I don't think all single Fairlies can be equated to Mason Bogies due to peculiarities like that. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: New guy with a mamod (should I even ask?)
It would seem that one would be O and one would be G but they are both a little under gauge. This is probably better than the problem with my son's Mamod, which is that it binds on any curve, sometimes to the point that it just stops running altogether. I attribute this to the wheels being slightly to FAR apart. Check the G1MRA standards on my site and see how all the dimensions correlate. You may be in good shape. http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/steam/castwheel.htm regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: F scale
F scale was invented to correct the gauge mismatch when modelling 3' narrow gauge on gauge 1 track. It's not 15mm scale particularly. But, Pete, that's exactly what it is. If 45mm track represents a 3-foot prototype, then one foot is represented by 15mm. Supposedly, the F in F scale stands for Fifteen mm. by analogy to SM32, we could also call it FM45, but why bother? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: New guy with a question
2. Is anyone seriously building F-scale (1:20.3) standard guage equipment? What are the prospects of this scale taking-off for other than Narrow-Gauge equipment? There are a couple of guys in Knoxville, Tenn. who are doing F-scale std. ga. seriously. David Queener is doing the motive power, under the name Cumberland Locomotive Works http://www.crofutandironcreek.com/CumberlandHome.htm. These will all be electric models, AFAIK, but he's also selling prefab tie strips (custom made for him by Llagas Creek, I believe), so you won't have to lay your own track. There are also rolling stock kits, trucks, etc. in the works. As for taking off -- I doubt it, without major manufacturer support. And the majors won't even support rational scales like 1:32 (standard gauge) or 1:20.3 (narrow). I certainly don't expect them to jump on the bandwagon of an obscure variant of a scale they consider minor at best, or even a damned nuisance. Still, if you're going to be building a lot of your own equipment anyway -- who cares? Build it in 1:18.375 if you want, and we'll still applaud your efforts. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
FHPB Forney kit
Fellow steamers, This is to announce the discontinuation of the FHPB Forney conversion kit. It's been a popular kit, but it simply required more handwork than I can justify. The alternative would have been to make the builder do this work, and it's my belief that tapping a couple of holes is as much as one can expect from the average hobbyist. Those who have already paid for a kit will be receiving it soon. The last batch is about ready to mail out. For those who were saving their pennies for a Forney, I hear that Accucraft plans a Ruby Forney as a production item, and of course Roundhouse and Rishon make very nice Forney models. So, the FHPB Forney is history now. Thanks to all of you who have bought them! best regards, -Vance- Vance Bass FHPB Railroad Supply Co. 6933 Cherry Hills Loop NE Albuquerque, NM 87111 USA http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/fhpb/
Re: Radiant burner
From what I've read, stainless is a questionable choice in steam service. It's given to stress corrosion cracking. In feed lines it's alright, but I wouldn't want it in contact with boiling water inside the boiler. Since these superheaters are just steam lines running through the flue, there's no worry about the ion pitting that makes it a bad choice for boilers. Even in full-scale service, though, the superheater was expected to burn through and was regularly replaced. RIght, but they made them so they were easily replaceable. We don't know yet what it will take to replace it in the C-16. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Helical Radiant Poker Burner (Gas)
John, I think it was you who showed it to me at DH, so I thought it was your device. In any case, good work, Paul!
(Fwd) Re: Helical Radiant Poker Burner (Gas)
Oops, I forgot to include the original note. John Garrett who showed me the burner, which was built by Paul Trevaskis (Rishon Loco Works, Aus.). -vance- --- Forwarded message follows --- Send reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date sent: Wed, 06 Mar 2002 10:44:17 -0700 From: VR Bass [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject:Re: Helical Radiant Poker Burner (Gas) John, I think it was you who showed it to me at DH, so I thought it was your device. In any case, good work, Paul! --- End of forwarded message ---
Re: Radiant burner need for Trot Fox
Someone at Diamondhead showed me a simple and apparently effective alternative to Kevin O'Connor's thoroughly engineered solution The fellow says it works well, and while I doubt it works quite as well as Kevin's, it looked to me like it should help a lot, and it was SIMPLE He took a length of 1/32 (or so) stainless steel wire and inserted one end into a 1/32 hole drilled into the shoulder of the burner body Then, he made a spiral of about 1/2 diameter that ran down the length of the burner, with about the 3/16 space between the coils I don't recall how the front end was affixed to the end of the poker, but that's about all there was to it The stainless got very hot, radiated a good bit of heat into the gas stream, and presumably finished (most of) the combustion just as Kevin's layers of mesh would Now, who was that? I'd like to give him proper credit, as well as keep in touch with him about further refinements regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://wwwnmiacom/~vrbass
Re: soft solder joints (was Harris book)
it's a transparent attempt to justify not silver soldering. Harry, if we're still talking about the letter to the G1MRA Journal, I suggest you go back and read it again. The letter in question is from Roy Froom, appearing in the Winter 2002 issue on p. 44. I quote from it: As Ian Smith has determined, a boiler with a failed safety valve could easily exceed 1000 lb per sq in, at which point its temperature will be 300 deg. C or more; the energy content will be very considerable -- the superheated water is a store of energy available for catastrophic release. It is quite conceivable that a fragment of the boiler or a fitting could be discharged with the same energy content as a rifle bullet. ... In correspondence, one much respected member has suggested that a soft soldered joint (for example a boiler bush) should be incorporated into the boiler as a second line of defence; this seems to me to be a sound idea. Full size boilers are commonly fitted with a fusible plug although this is more to protect the boiler than those around it. Ian Smith has determined, a boiler with a failed safety valve could easily exceed 1000 lb per sq in, at which point its temperature will be 300 deg. C or more. ... What I have in mind for the future is to build a boiler in which all the joints exposed to direct heat are silver soldered (firebox, firetubes, tubeplates, etc) but one or more joints not so exposed are made with the tin- copper solder. ... As I used to say to my sixth form students I would rather you did not have an explosion but if you must at least make it a little one! No one is suggesting soft-soldering boilers, nor using the safety idea as a front for poor workmanship. He does mention soft-soldered boilers and that they are limited to about 15 psi, or 120 deg. C, but the suggestion is to have a backup in case of a failed safety. What's wrong with that? why would somemone devise and make (regardless of materials used) a boiler which if it reached an overheated state, which it's certainly not uncommon for ours to do occasionally, would essentially destroy itself and require that the entire locomotive be dismantled and the boiler cleaned and remanufactured...? Ask Aster On the other hand, a silver-soldererd boiler with a soft- soldered bush or plug would be simple to put back in service -- simply resolder the failed joint. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: soft solder joints (was Harris book)
Keith, good points, all. I think if you are going to use a fusible plug it must be designed such that if it blows it will definately put out the fire. If the fire stays lit then you are in a worse situation than before. Quite right. -v-
soft solder joints (was Harris book)
Yep, Harry, I get a kick out of how he recommends soft soldering the mud ring in! I think that it is a great book for a lot of basics. There was a letter advocating basically the same thing in the latest G1MRA Journal. The author's point was that we have no last-ditch safety device like a fusible plug, so if the safety valve sticks, you're left with a potentially dangerous vessel. This especially speaks to me since I've purchased several Accucraft locomotives whose safties have no external stems to permit testing by tweaking them while raising steam. I don't think they're less safe than anyone else's boilers, but it's nice to have that way of confirming that the valve will indeed open every time you run.
doorknobs and cabbage stacks
Sounds like the title of a Disney movie, doesn't it? Does anyone remember who made the cabbage stack from a brass doorknob? I remember seeing it at Diamondhead, and I had thought it was Carl Malone's work, but I don't find a photo of it on his web page so now I'm doubting my memory (always a good policy). Can someone put me right on it? thanks, -vance-
Re: doorknobs and cabbage stacks
Thanks, Jim. Sometimes I wonder if I'm losing it early, then I remember that I wasn't any better at 20! -v-
Re: Regner Parts
I have an older two cylinder vertical steam engine made by Regnor, does anyone have any knowledge where I can obtain replacement parts for it? Hi, Bill! Go to my Manufacturers and Suppliers page http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/steam/steammfr.htm and search on Regner. You'll find their web site, which unfortunately isn't much help, as well as a Dutch retail dealer's web site. The Dutch dealer, Henk Bunte, is fluent in English (in case your Dutch is rusty), so you can probably write him and get what you need. I don't know of a Regner dealer in the US, unfortunately, though there may be one somewhere. It's a big country. I hope that helps! regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Ruby Kits
I have one of Ed's Ruby tender kits. I purchased it about 9 months ago. In fact, I worked with Ed to get him to produce a kit as I couldn't find anything around that looked good behind the Ruby. This was well before Accucraft brought out their own Ruby tender. Don, do you have a pic you could share? I'd be interested in seeing what he's come up with. -vance-
Re: Ruby Kits
On Mon, 26 Feb 2001, Don Plasterer [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote Ed Stinson of Northeast Narrow Gauge has announced three kits for the Ruby. One is a tender and the other two are Baldwin configurations. You can contact Ed at:[EMAIL PROTECTED] for details and drawings. Anyone know what ever happened to this? NENG's web site still doesn't have anything about them, I've never seen them advertised or mentioned in a New Products announcement. Was it a stillborn project, or is it just delayed? -vance-
Re: Steamlines Shay
where to get appropriate gears? Someone suggested gears for the R/C racing hobby. That's where I'd start. (Actually, I'd start in my own parts box, but I have been hoarding stuff like that since I was about 8 -- it's genetic, I understand.) -vance-
Re: nut height
Is there a standard height for an 8BA model engineering nut ? Nut height generally depends on the gauge of strings you're going to use, and whether you're playing with picks, finger-style, or with a slide. Also, acoustic guitars tend to have higher string height in general, since the volume and sustain are better. Sorry, saw the subject line and couldn't resist. I found it, and you could too, by entering BA threads in www.google.com and then looking at a bunch of web pages until I found one that had the data you requested. The one I found is http://www.htl- steyr.ac.at/~_morg/htl/FET/bathreads.html. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Cheddar Iver
big, heavy loco, really twitchy regulator. It was difficult to set the regulator to get dependable/consistent slow speed running. Note that this one was literally right out of the box. I think it might perform better after 10-15 hours of running. Peter (et al.) A trick I learned from Richard Ough some years ago at Diamondhead: the Mamods were plagued by a similarly unsatisfactory regulator. It was effectively an on/off switch. Richard showed us how to remove the stem from the valve and turn a longer taper on it, which he did with an electric drill, though a lathe would do in a pinch. :-) This makes the valve open more slowly, thus giving you more control. That's one of the things I later did to my Ruby to make it more controllable. Perhaps it would work on the Iver, too? regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
earliest known 1:20 scale live steamer?
From Baldwin's Record of Recent Construction No. 55 (1906), I found the following in a biographical sketch of Egide Walschaerts, inventor of the like- named valve gear: He was born in January 21, 1820. [In 1838] at the exhibition of products at Maines, there appeared some remarkable models executed by him, and described as follows in the catalogue: No. 19. M. E. Walschaerts, Jr., student of the Municipal College: a. A stationary steam engine of iron (the main piston having the diameter of 4.5 cm or 1.77 in.). b. A working model of a locomotive in copper to the scale of 1/20 of the railway locomotives. ... And, as is well-known, most of Walschaerts' locomotives ran outdoors, so we may presume that this one did as well. :-) I wonder how it was fired? Probably by coal. In any case, this and subsequent entries at the 1841 Exhibition in Brussels (silver medal) led to a scholarship at the University of Liege, cut short by serious illness, and then work in the shops of the Belgian State Railways, where he was made shop foreman at the age of 24. We have a long and most illustrious history as 1:20 scale live steamers! regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
more DH pics
Carol Jobusch gave me a CD with all her pics on it, and I've been looking through them with joy. There are a few that Richard didn't include on the SitG site that I thought were interesting, so I've uploaded them to the photos section on the Yahoo small-scale live steam group: http://groups.yahoo.com/small_scale_steam_models Best quote from the steamup: With a name like Dawn Brightwell, you pretty well have to be cheerful all the time! (source: Dawn Brightwell) And she was. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Mainland Europe Manuf of SSLS
This being an English language oriented list, most of the time only mention of English speaking countries SSLS (Small Scale Live Steam) manufacturers is made. I know of Aster in Japan, but I am wondering about mainland Europe's commercial manufacturing. Any WWW leads even if I have to use Google translation to understand them? Scroll through the manufacturers list on my site, and you'll see a lot of them, mostly in Germany and Austria. Either the French and Italians and Netherlanders scratchbuild everything, or my network of spies hasn't yet uncovered their commercial builders. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: C-16 firebox
Tom, my experience with soft solder (and whitemetal castings -- doh!) on both Roundhouse and Ruby have been that they will go in a hurry. Silver solder and brass castings are the only safe way to go. The white material is probably Fiberfrax or equivalent -- a ceramic fiber sheet that's available from Sulphur Springs, Small Parts, et al. Looking forward to seeing your mods! I got the first cut of the C-16 wood cab kit today. There are a few tweaks, but I'll have a finished model on my loco at Diamondhead. -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
Re: Wick adventures
Harry, Excellent work! This would make a good subject (with drawings and/or photos, of course) for a column in SSSH. -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
Re: spark arrestor screen
Have you a drawing or pic of the arrestor? I need to build one for my back woods loco project. In my case, there is already an arrestor on the locomotive, but it had an open top, so I simply needed to put a screen in it. There are many different kinds of spark arrestors, so you'll have to pick your favorite and look for drawings or measurements. Alan Olsen has made some nice-looking arrestors by cutting ~1/16 rings from brass tubing for the top and connecting them with brass strip to form a cylindrical framework. The mesh is inserted into this cylinder and it's attached to the stack. Trackside Details makes a very nice diamond stack (which will need mesh!) that can be adapted to many engines. And you can buy the large diamond stack for the Accucraft C-16 old-timer as a spare part (Caboose Hobbies, for example). -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
Re: Which fastener series for new design?
And on all three counts I think Richard is right, although there has been a small but sophisitcated and reasonably active model engineering community in France This brings to mind Jean-Jacques Paques from Montreal. He wrote up an American style Mogul in GR many long years ago that he scratchbuilt. He offered to share the plans with anyone for the cost of copying, so I got a copy. It's a curious design, with oscillating pistons but both tender and axle pumps (?!). And all, of course, in metric. Harry's advice to me then, when I was considering giving it a go, was to remember 25.4 and .039, and then it didn't look nearly so daunting. By the way, I don't know if he still has plans to send you, but if you're really interested I might be convinced to share them with you for the cost of copying. It's a charming little engine and, I think, one that would lend itself both to modification as well as to being a learning piece for doing metric work. I think I'd leave off the axle pump, however. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
spark arrestor screen
If you've been looking for super-fine brass screen to finish off your spark arrestor, you know how hard it is to find, and how expensive it is if you do find it. The light bulb went on for me the other day when my wife brought home a new permanent filter for our coffee maker, the kind that replaces paper cone filters. Well, guess what the new one's made of? And guess what the old one, about to go into the garbage, was made of? I now have about 12 square inches of superfine brass (?) mesh at no cost. If you don't have one of those coffee makers, the permanent filters cost less than $10, which I reckon is about 1/5 the cost of buying it at the hobby shop. Of course, if you get a new one, your loco's exhaust won't smell like coffee regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Beginner Gauge 1
What would be suggested as a good, inexpensive first locomotive? I've been looking at either one of Roundhouse's kit's or Ruby. Yes. Either one is inexpensive and good. The Ruby is less expensive, and slightly less robust, so you get the usual tradeoff. You will certainly enjoy either, and both offer good value for the money. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: miniature parts for detailing
Jon, just to be sure we're all on the same page here, I'll give you the Do what I say, not what I did talk. Don't think you can use Ozark's castings on your small scale live steam locomotive. Well, maybe, if it's on the tender, or in the cab away from the boiler. But the melting temp of their alloy is less than the temps on the front end of a gas-fired loco. You don't have to ask how I know, of course regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: loose screws (how did we get there from New Mexico?)
So, you want The Rest of the Story on the loose screw? Geoff, I can beat that one. Last year at Diamondhead, a few of us were sitting at the end of the dual-gauge loop, moving some hot air around, when one of Murray Wilson's antiques came ripping around the bend. It was moving fast enough that the business end of the main rod, which was just a slip-fit over the crankpin, tried to go straight while the rest of the loco turned. With the rod free of the crankpin, that permitted the piston (single-acting, with no cylinder head in the back) to extract itself from the cylinder and fly though the air, landing at my feet. The loco continued running fine on one cylinder, so we flagged it down next time it came around. Murray shoved it all back into place and roared off again. See what fun you're missing if you don't go to Diamondhead? -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
Re: misunderstood New Mexico
After all, how many great days of steaming register on your mind? Every one of them, I think, since they were all spent in the company of fine people under pleasurable circumstances. -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
Re: lsbandb: R/C on the Accucraft C-16 Steamer
And while I'm on the subject of the C-16, I think someone (Vance?) found some small tools for the little screws and allen keys. Where can they be bought? Clark Lord suggested using Allen-head screws for sockets, and they do work very well. I screwed one into a dowel and then turned it down so it would reach into small places, which helps. I also bought some real metric nut-drivers at Caboose Hobbies when I was there last month. They were around $5 each, IIRC. -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
Garden Railways stuff
Fellow kitbashers, scratchbuilders, live steamers and cognoscenti, While I agree with the recent gripes about the current issue of GR (live steam column was too sketchy, simplistic kitbashing articles, yet another LGB Mogul on the cover), I can't let the implied criticism go without comment. If you think this is the result of editorial policy or a benighted editor, you don't know enough about the hobby publishing business. There is no paid staff of professional model railroad writers, churning out articles in Kalmbach cubicles. All of GR's articles come from modelers who take the time to write up something they find interesting and shoot some photos of it. To quote the sage, If you can do better, do it! That's the only source GR, FR, the Gazette, LID, and all the other small hobby mags have for material. The corollary is, of course, if you don't do it, you'll continue to get the same old stuff. As an example, the readership has been asking consistently for kitbashing and scratchbuilding articles, but relatively few articles like that get submitted. When such an article comes in, even the most rudimentary, it will automatically have a better chance of publication than others because it's something the readers want to see. As another example, that gorgeous 4-8-2 that you cobbled together from two Aristo Pacifics is no doubt your pride and joy, but if you don't photograph it and write about it, you won't see it on the cover of GR. Before I was writing regularly for GR, I submitted three how-to articles (resistence solderer, wheel-painting jig, kitbashing a live steam 2-8-0). They pretty well covered the spectrum of difficulty from good idea that's dead simple to make (jig) to very difficult (disassemble a live steam chassis and reconfigure the drive train). All three were accepted and were printed. The moral, I think, is that the hobby constantly gets new people who need to know the old wisdom, and no experience is wasted -- someone somewhere will need it someday. If we (those of us who have been in the hobby a relatively long time) don't help the beginners by sharing our ideas and knowledge, then we can't really complain too much if they never change a car number, weather a locomotive, or scratchbuild something. And if we don't photograph and write about our modeling triumphs, then we can't really complain that we're seeing the same old out-of-the-box locos. We learned from others, and from trial and error. If we want things to improve in the hobby as a whole, we're going to have to share our experiences and encourage the novices to try new things. Then, when they're comfortable with it, we can start hounding them for articles, too. Stepping hesitantly down from the soapbox... -vance- Keep in mind that, before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste. -- Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo
(Fwd) We can supply various kinds of Wool Felt
I got this as spam today -- how on earth do they find us? At any rate, anyone want to make up a bulk purchase of boiler lagging? I have used wool felt on a couple of engines and it works splendidly. -vance- --- Forwarded message follows --- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: vrbass Subject:We can supply various kinds of Wool Felt Date sent: Sat, 3 Nov 2001 04:21:23 +0800 Dear Sir/Madam: We are a trading company named as: M/S Nanjing Mega-Profit Trading Co., Ltd. located in Nanjing, China. We are pleased to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves to you as a regular exporter of various kinds of wool felt. We have just been approved to import export directly by ourself by Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economy of our country. We own one felt factory in Nanjing and we got many friendly connection/relations with other wool felt factories in China, hence we are confident that we can supply you various kinds of wool felt with superior quality and competative price. If you have any demand/interest on wool felt product, please feel free to contact with us as below address. We are looking forward to hearing from you and establish a long term business relationship. Thanks and best regards Mr. Zhou Yong, Managing Director Nanjing Mega-Profit Trading Co., Ltd. Room 801-814, Ruijin Mansion, 48, Ruijin Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China Postal code: 210016 Telephone: 0086-25-4588848 (Direct line) 4588185, 4588380, 4588803, 4641136 Telefax: 0086-25-4588859 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- End of forwarded message ---
(Fwd) Accucraft C-16 radio control news
NEWS FLASH! Pete Thornton has made a breakthrough in installing radio control gear into the Accucraft C-16! -vance- --- Forwarded message follows --- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date sent: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 11:44:52 EST Subject:lsbandb: Re: photo op To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'm halfway through converting to r/c, and I'm taking lots of pictures. The tender comes apart with the 4 big brass corner bolts - and the floor is separate, so putting the receiver and batteries in there turned out to be very easy. I thought I'd have to cut the top of the water tank, but no need. I bought extenders for the servo cables, and a mini-servo with 36 oz-in of force for the Johnson bar, so I should be done next week. I'm thinking of writing it up for SitG, if the pics come out. Pete --- End of forwarded message ---
Bayou Ltd.
Hi, all. I tried to get to Paul Kenney's Bayou Ltd web site today and it was off the air. My mail to Paul bounced, too. Has anyone spoken with him recently? I hope he's just the victim of a flakey ISP regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Meths vs Gas
All the engines I own are gas-fired. I like the simplicity and the range of control (turning a valve is much easier than removing the burner and adjusting wicks). What I don't like is the noise (potentially could be eliminated with ceramic burners, but you couldn't retrofit a poker burner with a cermic unit). I don't like the diminishing performance as the tank cools in cool weather. And I especially don't like the difficulty of finding a reliable source for the gas. This is the point that worries me most. Will these locos still be functional in 10 years? 20 years? 50 years? Murray Wilson brings 80- and 100-year-old locos to run each year at Diamondhead, and they steam like champs. All he has to do is pour some alcohol in them and light up. Will my gas-burners be running in 80 years on my grandchildren's railways? Since these are not disposable toys, used for a couple of years then discarded, I think longevity should be a major consideration, and right now I don't have a solid, assured feeling about the longevity of gas canisters. But they've lasted 20 or 30 years so far, so maybe I'm just turning into a worrisome geezer. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
Re: Messages on this list
Vance pointed us to http://www.under-tec.com for gas relief. Vance, I've long been impressed with your encyclopedic knowledge Don, I must (I REALLY must) give credit where it's due for this one. Under- tec was awarded the Ig-Nobel Prize in Biology for this wonderful invention. See http://www.improbable.com/ig/ig-top.html for details. regards, -vance- Vance Bass Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Small-scale live steam resources: http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass
(Fwd) Re: Accucraft Superior
Here are the answers to some of the questions we've had about the Superior. -vance- --- Forwarded message follows --- From: Garden Railway Specialists [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Vance Bass [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject:Re: Accucraft Superior Date sent: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 14:44:08 +0100 Dear Sir The Superior 0-6-2 is at present running on the whipsnade zoo railway, along with Excelsior Dual gauge 32/45mm 16mm Scale Manual controls Internally gas fired Insulated wheels Water lever check valve Lever reverse from cab Under floor lubrication drain Suitable for radio control Available in GWR green or LMS Crimson lake Estimated price £725.00 Your more then welcome to back order one now! Best Regards GRS I'm very interested in knowing more about the Accucraft Superior shown in your catalogue. Especially, when will this loco be available, will it be in regular production or is it a special batch, etc.? Thanks very much for your reply! regards, Vance Bass Small-Scale Live Steam Resources http://www.nmia.com/~vrbass/ --- End of forwarded message ---
