Chad - Ref your problems with a C-16. I assume The Accucraft model. First I havent got all of the story and secondly, I dont know if I can be of a lot of help, most of you people writing on these pages seem to have more knowledge of G1 engines than I do, but maybe if I just ramble on who knows:- I also have a C-16 and have had various problems with the fuel system, the tank of which is originally in the tender. I found that when the loco gas tank was warmer than the gas that I was trying to refuel, the gas would not go into the tank. Solution, I let a couple of drops of gas fall on the Ronson valve to cool it. (Make sure no open flame is near) It worked. The tender had to be filled with warm water to get the burner to burn long enough to boil the water in the boiler! Getting the heavy brass sand dome off in order to re-tank the boiler needed asbestos fingers or a long, long, wait. There is an M5 Diam.x 0.5mm thread on the boiler backhead ( should connect to the non existant water pump) which is blind and sealed with an M5 screw. Here I fitted a ball valve (clack-valve UK) and now refill my boiler with a domestic pump bottle. No more hot fingers and have the water guage and pressure guage in sight. My new R. C. receiver is very small and I can fit it between the Johnstone ( is that right)? bar and the front right of the cab. This leaves the area on the left of the cab for a new gas tank ( home made, hard silver soldered)with a Regner filler valve (I have been informed that 50% of Ronson Vales are defect ex works!!) and the new tank has marginally less content than the the original. The loco now behaves and gives the pleasure I would have liked from the the start. I can now refuel and take on water under steam all day if I have so much free time. A steam manifold mounted on the boiler backhead allows things like a steam whistle to be fitted under the frame using micro servos. I have mounted my battery pack on the tender footplate, and can lead a wire to the headlight LED.
I still have problems with uneven track (frost heave) causing the small wheel flanges to climb over curves etc and I am considering new wheels with less scale flanges. I prefer a loco that works well, to one that looks good only on perfect track. I would be pleased for any help I can receive on this subject or the vast amount of oil the dead-leg oiler uses, or better said directs to the smokebox. The small Shay runs beautifully on all track and by fitting a rear (longer) sliding drive shaft joint to the front!! will even negosiate RII curves without binding. Thank you. Bert. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
