Allison is writing an article for Steam in the Garden. It's her loco,
after all. ;) It's got a 3-wick alcohol burner of a rather generic
design. It *does* fly, though. It tipped off the track at one point,
which is what prompted me to choke the exhaust to slow it down a bit.
Later,
K
I used ball bearing pressed into the wood sideframes. I wanted as little
rolling resistance as possible, as I was informed that the Midwest kit
had very little power, and you needed to minimize friction at all costs.
The ball bearings work fantastically. Take the cylinder off the crank,
and the
I've never had any trouble, pre or post 9-11. Drain all the fluids, and
be ready to pull it out for inspection. It may help to not refer to it
as a "live steam" loco, rather just a model train. I also try to mention
to the screeners when I place the bag on x-ray machine to expect
something a bi
While waiting for Santa to show up (so I could steal all the live steam
locos from his bag), I finished building the frame for my BAGRS-ish
"creation". The good news is that it runs like a son-of-a-gun on air,
and pulls its own weight (considerable weight at that) with great
aplomb. At least it
The only thing you have to worry about when heating the brass is to make
sure you heat it evenly. An oven or regular steaming of the loco will do
this. Heating the brass sheet with a torch will not, and the metal will
warp.
I routinely use .005" brass sheet on my locos, and have never had an
o
All told, I don't think I added much weight at all to the loco. I
eliminated the side tanks and the metal cab, and the weight of the
bunker is supported by the trailing truck. There may actually be *less*
weight on the drivers. I haven't yet steamed her in "full" dress, but
she runs quite smoot
Just in time for our annual sojourn to Diamondhead for the Small Scale
Steam-up, the Tuscarora Valley Railroad rolled their #2 out of the
shops. The loco started life as an Accucraft Ruby, but now looks at
least slightly different.
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/eastbroadtop/TVRR2/buildersfin
>Kevin Strong was working on a master of a 48" wheel in 1:20.3, but
I've >no idea how he's getting on.
Stalled at the moment. CAD drawings are done and in the possession of
Crofut and Iron Creek who's doing the master work for me, but I've been
too busy with ot
Generally, I'll use spray cans for most things. For 90% of the work we
do in this scale, they're fine. Sometimes I'll warm the spray can by
immersing it in hot water for a few minutes. This increases the pressure
inside the can, and gives you a finer spray out of the nozzle. I also do
a lot of
When I moved into my old house back east, the previous owner had left a
box in the garage that at one time was a case of "Self-etching primer"
made by a company called Mar-hyde or something like that. I went to the
local auto parts store with the stock number off the box, and the
geniuses behin
For 1/16" rod, you'll want to get a 1-72 die. I mistakenly bought a 0-80
die for the same purpose, and quickly learned the error of my ways. It
was only after I was ejumaketd in this regard that I received an e-mail
from a friend informing me that he used a 1-72 die for his threaded
1/16" rod.
Took a look in person, though I was not present for it's operational
demonstration on the steam-up track at the convention. Interesting bird,
that one. It is, as advertised, a live steam version of Aristo's USRA
mikado. The plastic looks well insulated from the boiler, though I'm not
100% certa
>OSH sulfuric acid drain cleaner for pickling bass
I suppose if you must pickle your bass, any vinegar would work. I much
prefer a garlic olive oil marinade myself. It does a much better job of
bringing out the flavor.
Also, I'm not sure what Vance's beverage of choice is, but I'm sure with
eno
Roger Loxley told me it was to 9/16" scale as he felt it would me too
big in 1:19.
Interesting, considering the size of the 1:20 offerings available now.
Makes you appreciate how small those 2' locos really were!
Later,
K
Well, as luck would have it, I went to visit a friend of mine whose
workshop is chock full of random and scrounged bits and pieces. I
enquired about the possibility of his having wire that would work, and
the son-of-a-gun pulls out a huge spool of mild steel bailing wire, all
within a cast alum
Alas, the delightful stuff I bought was music wire. I knew it was hard,
I didn't think it was *that* hard. After 5 minutes just trying to get
the #%*&[EMAIL PROTECTED] stuff to even think about taking a thread, I decided that
it's destined for other uses.
Which brings me back to the question of
Right now, I'm threading the ends of reinforcement rods for a wood
hopper car. If that is successful, then the next application will be on
a scratchbuilt archbar truck to go under my next Ruby kitbash. There's
not one that matches the profile I'd like, and they look to be very easy
to build. Th
1/16" brass rod may work quite well for someone who's used to threading
rod, but it's just a bit wider in diameter than what I'd prefer. (too
much of a shoulder between the threaded part and the rod itself. My
attempts at running it through the die--which is "adjustable," meaning I
can increase
So, the $64,000 question--where can one find 1.5mm brass wire? I'm
afraid the aspens in my front yard would suffer a rather similar fate to
Arthur's trees if I tried to employ the stretch method... (That, and my
1/16" rod comes in 3' lengths. A bit too short to tie around anything.)
Does anyone
Does anyone know what size brass rod/wire one would use for threading to
0-80? My initial thought of 1/16, being right smack dab in between the
clearance and tap drill sizes turned out to be wrong--too big. 3/64" is
too small--the nuts slide right over.
My next guess would be something in the .
>One thing, AOL steam engines would only give you plumes of
>advertisements!!
But on the flip side, you'd have nice, slow speed operation!
Later,
K
If you're referring to submitting an article to SitG, Ron recently told
me he prefers good quality prints (glossy, 4 x 6 or larger) and digital
pix, at least 3 megapixel (at maximum resolution--roughly 1500 x 1200).
His slide scanner went the way of the dodo, so he's not too hip on
slides at th
I don't know of any "plans" off the top of my head. I know Paul Kenney
at one time was selling kits to turn the RH boiler/chassis kit into a
2-6-2. Don't know if that had plans, drawings, or anything like that
which may help out or not.
Truth be told, though, you don't really need plans for a p
I'm not sure I'd go much longer than 4" between axles. LGB cheats, and
pivots their axles on their stuff to fit around their tightest curves.
Unless you want to go that route, you'd do yourself right to stay as
short as possible. Even with such a short wheelbase, you can go with
longer rolling
This is a fairly common problem for the Ruby, and is relatively easy to
fix. The problem stems from the fact that the Ruby reverses by changing
the valves from outside admission to inside admission. As the locomotive
comes from the factory, the piston valve is in outside admission when
in forw
The vinegar/steel wool method is a recent favorite of mine--use just as
Trot described. The "simulated" rust effect on painted surfaces is
absolutely magnificent--especially since it isn't really "simulated" at
all. It *is* rust.
Word of caution with the vinegar/steel wool solution. It reacts t
I'm just putting the finishing touches on one of my locos before heading
down on Wednesday. Looking forward to breathing alcohol, butane and coal
fumes for 5 days!
See y'all then!
Later,
K
Okay, so I'm overhauling one of my locos in preparation for heading down
to DH, and have a few questions...
First, has anyone converted the poker burner in a RH loco to a radiant
burner? Easy? Difficult? Any specifics I should know about?
Second, does anyone have a source for the counterweighte
Actually, mounting air pumps on the front of locos was surprisingly
standard practice for a number of railroads. Many standard gauge locos
had them mounted on the front pilot, right in front of the smokebox.
Some hid them with sheilds, some left them right out in the open.
On the narrow gauge s
Living in Colorado, where we have such a law already on the books, I can
say with certainty that it's very pleasant not to have those darned
phone calls. How pleasant?
Well, a few months ago, our local phone company "accidentally"
disconnected our line. (Long story, but I will never come within
Making your own frogs is actually quite easy if you use casting resin.
My dad and I have been building switches for 20+ years using this
method, and they stand the test of time quite nicely.
First off, get a copy of the aforementioned GR article. Pete's methods
are virtually identical to mine.
Is that Vance Bass saying "mess with it only if you must?" You're not
turning into a collector, are you??? (Must be the heat...) Certainly,
there is an implied appreciation of history, but if it's not what you
want, change it. I've got two locomotives that if left untouched would
have "collecto
Bored with your Accucraft shay?
Tired of chasing Asters around small ovals all day long?
Want to get more realism out of your live steam experience?
Then you need to click here!!!
http://www.wisconsinrailroading.com/forsale.htm
Yes, that's right - for a mere quarter million dollars, you can bu
In any case,
my center drivers are a few thou off the rail so there was never a problem.
I guess this makes the engine a 2-2-2-2-2 :>)
Well, it *is* a 2-2 train...
Later,
K
Worked for mom, and that's all that was important, right?
Later,
K
Great photos, and lots to drool over.
FYI, mylargescale.com works well with Netscape 7.0, but not anything
earlier. (hence why I upgraded... I don't do Microsquish if I can avoid
it. Don't do Starbucks, either.)
Back to trains...
Any word on when the Ruby kit will be available? I just stumbled
It would be interesting to see a photo side by side of the two. I
agree, it looks similar, but the $700 price difference makes me think
otherwise. Can anyone take the specs and compare them to those of the 2-
8-0?
Later,
K
- Original Message -
From: Jeffrey Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTE
Isn't the Philly butane fired? Wouldn't think you'd need a fan for that.
Later,
K
- Original Message -
From: Royce Woodbury <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2003 6:03 pm
Subject: blower fans
>
> Hi folks. Am going to need a blower fan for my Philly soon. Any
> suggestions
Gary wrote:
>
> So far all but two others in our club just shake their heads over
> grown men fiddling with tiny engines and chasing them around to
> fiddle some more.
The same can be said for the logic behind hitting a little white ball
for the sole purpose of walking up to it and hitting it a
> I am installing a water pump to add water to my engine while under
> steam.Rather than using a regular check valve, is there any reason
> I couldn't use
> a goodall valve instead. Has amyone tried this? Bob
There's no reason why it wouldn't work. A Goodall valve and a
traditional check valve
Harley Kelsey wrote:
>
> You can get blurred pictures using digital cameras because there is a
> delay after you press the shutter, while the camera adjusts exposure,
> etc.
Yes and no... The blurring isn't because of any delay between when you
push the button and when the image is captured -
We've finally re-established contact with the outside world...
new e-mail addresses as follows...
Kevin - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Allison - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
And for those who didn't write it down last time (and shame on you...)
Kevin and Allison Strong
5379 S. Jebel St.
Centennial, CO 80015
303-694-
ss book to
take down our new info, 'cuz we're only going to send this once.
NEW:
Allison and Kevin Strong
5379 S. Jebel St.
Centennial, CO 80015
303-694-4209 (That actually stayed the same.)
Unfortunately, we'll be off-line for a week or so while we wait for our
new internet connect
Fortunately, this one isn't a long distance move - rather just 5 miles
down the road out of the apartment into a house. Finally, I can start
laying tracks again!
Later,
K
Clark Lord wrote:
>
> Now if we can get Dave
> Cole straightened out on how to slash.
>
I hear OJ's giving lessons.
Sorry, that was sick and wrong. Okay, I'm not _that_ sorry...
Seriously, I loved the pics. Almost as good as being there. I did have
the sleep-deprived nights, but that was b
> >
> > It's a forlorn bleat I am sure, but can't we give up these crazy US & Brit
> > nomenclatures?
> > For any miniature all you need to know is the scale ratio from the prototype
> > (correct or incorrect as the manufacturer prefers) & the track gauge in mm,
> > e.g. 20.3/45
> >
A system sim
The Bachmann (sparkie) mogul is 4.5" at the cylinders. Can't give you a
vertical clearance, as mine's been significantly modified. The B'mann
2-8-0 is 5.5" at the cylinders.
Later,
K
Keith Taylor wrote:
>
> - Original Message -
> From: "Anthony Dixon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "Multiple recipients of sslivesteam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 8:22 PM
> > Anyone tried dried Haggis as an
> > alternative fuel source for McRubies?.
> > Tony D.
You mean there is a debate? Everyone knows it's Baldwin!
Later,
K
The Accucraft v. Roundhouse debate can't be answered right now. That can
only be answered in a few years, after the earliest Accucrafts (of which
I have one) have been run into the ground the same way Roundhouse locos
have been over the years.
It's a lot like those "initial satisfaction" statemen
These switches aren't limited to mainline high speed use, either. The
narrow gauge East Broad Top had two such sprung frogs on a siding.
Curiously, these two switches seem to be the only two on the railroad,
at least that the adventurous explorers have found under the leaves and
underbrush. Why the
Rebushing the valve gear is possible, but if the holes in the linkages
are worn away, there's no real way to be certain that they are worn
equally in all directions, so drilling out the holes for the bushings
may in fact exacerbate the problem by moving the centers ever so
slightly farther apart (
Tony,
'twas not me in Sacramento. Never been there. And I have yet to burn any
cork. I've cut cork, drilled cork, popped a few corks, but I have yet to
burn any. Burnt my share of other materials, though... Just not in Sacramento.
Later,
K
I've used cork without any ill effects.
Later,
K
Neat changes.
Oddly enough, the original flared stack cap is quite American as well.
Many early coal fired locos (c. 1875 - 1905 and even later) had ornate
flared stack caps. Baldwin's narrow gauge offerings were routinely seen
with these. The most "modern" application that comes to mind is the E
Just wait until the railroad builds its extension to the local pig farm.
In truth, the pig farm had been lobbying the railroad to build there
first, using the argument that you're not supposed to cast your pearls
before swine.
Sorry.
K
If you've got a plug on the backhead, such as many of the early RH
boilers had, you can get a Goodall valve from Brandbright. I don't know
if the new boilers have this plug or not, but check to see. I don't
recall exactly what the price was, but it wasn't anywhere near bank
breaking.
I used to h
Dave (and others),
Don't worry about the Argyle being obscure and no one treading that
water before. Clearly, I'm not a big fan of leaving any steamer well
enough alone. (Vance - it was a Dylan.) Imagining something as something
else takes x-ray vision.
The key to any locomotive kitbash is to t
I'm actually not a huge fan of tender pumps. I built two tenders with
them, mounted crosswise, and while the pumps worked quite well, the
check valves did not. No amount of fiddling, tapping, sanding, or
anything could get the rat fink balls to sit down properly. The result
was in one instance a j
If you've got a boiler full of steam, and no power, then there are a few
areas you may want to look. First will be the wheels themselves. Make
sure they're clean and free of caked on oil.
Second, make sure the exhaust lines are clean. Even if everything's in
good order, if there's a clog in the
Roundhouse valves are pop valves, although they don't pop nearly to the
level that Aster pop valves do. In that light, they could be considered
"weepers" as well, but they do actually pop. You may want to check the
setting on your safety, though. Steam it up and let it build up to
around 40 - 45 p
I actually use two layers for my jackets - three if you count the
lagging. I first bend a sheet of .020" or .030" brass, depending on
what I have in my bin at the time. The key is to make sure it's
substantial enough to secure all your details to it. I'll mark all the
holes for bells, whistles, h
I'm rather fond of thin cork sheeting for boiler lagging. I used 1/8" on
the Roundhouse loco, and this brought the jacket just over the smokebox
casting, which is the effect I was after. On the Ruby rebuild, I used
1/16" cork, as it was a smaller locomotive, and that's what the hobby
shop had in s
Wasn't there a plan (or a kit) put out by Bayou Ltd. a while back for a
2-6-2? Aside from that, I don't think there were ever any "commercial"
kits for building something from the Roundhouse boiler and chassis.
There are the usual suppliers of brass detail parts, (Trackside Details,
Accucraft, P
Yahoo recently "added" certain features to their e-mail and list
programs to allow spam and other "special offers" to flow through to
their users. End result - more junk in both your e-mailbox and snail
mailbox.
There is a fix - go to subscribe.yahoo.com/showaccount
Enter your username and pass
his area.
(Some electric, some steam.) It will be interesting to see how it holds
up over time.
Anyway, send it to:
Kevin Strong
8899 E. Prentice Ave. #9204
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Again, thanks much. See you in DH, and have a safe trip.
Later,
K
Does anyone know of a source for .005 steel sheet? The hobby shops tend
to have brass, copper, and aluminum, but not steel.
I've been using blackened brass sheet for boiler jackets with very nice
results, but it dawned on me that most folks describe boiler jackets as
resembling a blackened gunme
Boxes, but I'm working on that.
Actually my next few projects are going to be geared towards building
some rolling stock to run behind my locos. I've got a half-finished
caboose to do, then a string of hoppers, a flat or three, and then Marc
had to go and publish plans for 1:20 passenger cars in
Well, we're alive and well out here in Denver, after pulling up stakes
from the frozen confines of Rochester. No steaming yet, but I have to
unpack my steam-up supplies first, anyway.
Later,
K
I'm going to be out of the loop for a while so I can move everything I
own 1800 miles to the west. I got a new job in Denver, so I'll soon be
joining those folks to boil water on a regular basis. Unfortunately,
I'll be leaving the good folks here in the frozen north, but they've
told me they will
For those of you who haven't heard yet, we're getting the heck out of
Rochester. I'm taking a new job as an editor at KCNC-TV in Denver, and
am hitting the road in a week or so. Information on new addresses and
phone numbers will be forthcoming, as soon as I know where we will be
living. (Details,
'twas not my locomotive, alas. My involvement was limited only to
suggesting the idea. Unfortunately, I haven't come across any more such
knobs since then, so I haven't been able to do anything with that, either.
Ah well...
Later,
K
Exhaust that smells like coffee can be a good thing. I'm thinking late
night at DH, when we need that little something to keep our eyes open
just a bit longer...
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting there. I'm currently in the
process of overhauling my Roundhouse 0-6-0 based loco with new domes
In essence, they are the same, except that one has three axles, and one
has two. It's really a matter of aesthetics. The center driver on the
Lady Anne kit is a) blind, and b) sits slightly above the railhead. So,
you only have the front and rear axles in contact with the rail anyway.
Pulling powe
First off, a disclaimer - I write a regular column for Garden Railways
aimed at beginning garden railroaders. However, my comments are based on
my experience as the editor of the Friends of the East Broad Top
[Railroad] magazine, the "Timber Transfer."
Simply stated, a magazine is only as good a
Sure, open that can of worms, why don't you? How's about throwing "scale
vs. gauge" in the mix, too?
Seriously, I'm going to take the other side, and ally myself with gas
firing. It's clean, simple, and you have to work really hard to light
the track on fire. I have two meths burners, one of whic
Harry mentioned that "affordable" is a relative term. There's a lot of
truth to that statement, and I'm looking forward to the day when an
Aster Big Boy is affordable. That's going to be a while. I've got a
wife, mortgage, and while kids are not in the picture currently, they
will be in due course
While on the subject of Rubys...
A few folks who were at Ron's steam-up yesterday were inquiring about the
website I did for my bash...
http://home.rochester.rr.com/kevstrains/Allisonprototype.html
The steam-up, by the way, was a fine, fine event. When we got there around
1:30, there were aroun
The frames of my Roundhouse bash (a boiler and chassis kit) were opened
up as Harry has suggested. I believe Trent has done the same to one of
his Roundhouses. There has been no structural integrity lost in the
process. I kept about 3/16" of material surrounding all major structural
elements. (Axl
I use an old Elmer's Glue bottle for my steam oil. Cap screws on tight,
and allows for easy filling of the lubricator. Certainly much neater
than the old film canisters I had been using.
Later,
K
The article doesn't go too deeply into what actually happens to
aluminum, and how it deteriorates (or doesn't) rather just highlights
what the author does to keep electrons flowing through the rails.
(Although I can't for the life of me figure out why you would want to do that.)
The text of the a
I was glancing through the COGRA newsletter tonight, and stumbled across
listmember Ross Webster's article about aluminum rail, and how it
oxidizes and weathers over time. (Thanks, Ross, for continuing to send
it to me. I'll forward it to our current editor after I copy the
information from it for
I've had great results using Krylon paints. Their clearcoats come in
three varieties, flat, satin, and gloss. So far, they have stood up well
to repeated heatings, even on my pot boiler. Of interest there, however,
is that the Floquil paint I used as a base changes color depending on
temperature.
Radio Shack. Ask for printed circuit board etchant.
Later,
K
I've got a whitemetal airpump on my Ruby bash, and I've been quite
pleased in how it's held up. It's screwed into a bracket which is
screwed onto the boiler lagging. This also holds the running boards in
place. (Of course, having seen Trackside's new 1:20 airpump... Ahh, the
error of my youthful w
Fortunately, she's very understanding when it comes to quality "hobby
shop" time. And it _was_ the last day...
Later,
K
Speaking of 1/32...
While sniffing around Caboose Hobbies the other week, I was looking at
figures. I saw Life Like's offerings, which they claim to be "G" scale.
Well, unless my ruler was affected by the higher altitude, these figures
work out to be 1:32, not G. They are all roughly 55 60 mm tal
Trent,
It may surprise you to learn that some Pez collectors do boil water as a
hobby. Allison has somewhere around 300 Pez dispensers. One has to admit,
they're a helluvalot cheaper than steam locos.
Later,
K
In Miami, isn't that a requirement?
Later,
K
No, and I don't think I will. The wedding's in two weeks, and I don't
want to do anything to jeopardize that. We are taking a train ride on
the honeymoon - Denver to Glenwood Springs. Not steam, but we may find
time to get to Georgetown... No luck convincing her that Chama was the
latest craze in
Trent's idea is exactly what I've done in all of my steamers with
operating headlights. I use 1/16" dia brass tube for the handrails, and
run teflon wire through it up to the headlight. The return is grounded
to the locomotive. Word of warning here - if you are using RCS to
control your train, and
Okay, who saw the picture on page 104 of the May/June Narrow Gauge
Gazette? For those who haven't, it's a steam powered inspection car.
(It's a preview for the next issue...) Anyway, the car has a small
vertical boiler, about 12" in diameter, and roughly 3-4' tall. It looks
to have a single vertic
It depends. Steam it without the weight, and see how she pulls, and if
she slips. I've got two roundhouse locos - an old Dylan, which no longer
reflects its roots, save the nameplate, and a mogul which I built from
the 0-6-0 boiler/chassis kit. Both have different running and pulling characteristi
I generally use Krylon clear finish. They make three types - matte,
satin, and gloss. I generally use the satin. I haven't had any trouble
with crazing from alcohol or heat or oil. Don't know how well it holds
up under "intense" heat like that from a pot boiler, but I've used it
with great results
Sorry for the non-steam related post, but I was hoping to cast a net
across the big puddle to some of our British counterparts...
I'm wondering if anyone has any information on a product made by a
company called Kenversions in the mid 80s. It was a "shell" for an East
Broad Top doodlebug called t
Okay, okay...
Geez, It's 50 degrees outside, and I'm in here on the computer! What a
world!!! (For all you Californians, we here in the Northeast consider 50
degrees "springtime.")
Anyway... Since my outdoor activities involve replacing about 4' of
track where the aforementioned tree branch fell
I'll echo Gary's post - and go the step further that Gary didn't...
The California and Oregon Coast is home to a wealth of Llagas Creek
track supplies, among other products. Depending on what you're looking
for, there's a good chance that you will find it there. Llagas Creek
makes plastic tie str
"Tracks Ahead" is a PBS series produced by Milwaukee Public Television.
Their programs are syndicated on PBS stations around the country, so getting
a common airtime for those can be a bit more difficult than with a show on a
national channel like HGTV.
Yes, Trent, Jim is my father, and he has be
The show is called "Whistle Stop Gardens" or something to that ilk. It
features somewhere around 8 garden railroads throughout the country,
including those belonging to Jack Verducci in San Francisco, and Jim Strong
in Maryland. Above and beyond that, I don't know too much.
As a side note, "Track
The RCS system should be able to do everything you want it to do, with the
existing servos. It's pretty much a plug and play system. (They even make a
system designed to run servos and an additional sound system, so you should
be all set.
I've got one of their original systems in one of my locos,
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