on 20/2/00 6:11 pm, Charles W. Walters at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Until today, I have
> been an 'electric fan' but am now purchasing my first 'live steamer'. I am
> getting a new Roundhouse 'Fowler'. I joined the list to gather as much info
> as possible, meet you all and mostly to have a lot of fun in a new branch of
> the hobby. Look forward to corresponding with you fine folks.
>
Many congratulations on your soon to be acquired Roundhouse Fowler Chuck! I
had one of these excellent beasts (named Lord Elpus by my wife after she saw
the price) for several years. They are a delight to drive and the only
reason I moved it on is that it (for obvious reasons) did not fit in to my
little Cornish narrow gauge backwater.
Now i know that when one buys a steamer for the first time, the last thing
one wants to do is to start modifying it. I would like to make the
suggestion however that maybe you would like to fit the drop link,
combination lever and larger crosshead set supplied by Roundhouse - but not
advertised. I obviously don't know about your level of knowlege, so feel
free to swipe me round the head if I am teaching you to suck eggs - but if
you look at the most expensive Roundhouse locos, for instance the Sandy
River and Rangely Lakes loco, you will see that it would appear to have FULL
Walschaerts valve gear rather than the semi version fitted to most locos.
In fact this set fitted to the more expensive locos is actually a dummy, but
it is available from Roundhouse (and should be from your US agent) at only
around 14uk pounds!! The fitting is simplicity itself. Remove the hex head
crank pin holding the crosshead in place and discard small crosshead.
Remove hex headed short crank pin from valve rod. Screw new crosshead and
linkage into place using original crosshead crank pin and hook up linkage to
the valve rod using the new long crank pin supplied.
This job takes less than five minutes for both sides and improves the look
of your running gear no end. Take a look in the catalogue at the different
locos and you will see what I mean.
--
Yours Aye
Tag Gorton
Longlands & Western Railway Co
Trematon Office
Saltash
Cornwall
iMac + Amiga
