Building a Boiler for a 3 1/2" Gauge Locomotive

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sbwhart:
Thanks Guys

Made enough of the fitting so i could try the fit out, for those interested this is how to fabricate small boiler fitting up, this is for the clacks.

First turn up the parts drill a cross hole in the body 3mm, on the union leave a small boss 3.05 mm dia and drill a pilot hole in the other end part way through, press the boss into the body and solder the bits together.

These are the bits

Bits prepped for soldering parts fluxed and a small nugget of solder put on the joint.

When you solder the bits together don't direct the flame on the job you'll just blow the nugget off sneak up on it with the heat when the flux will go white then black then it melts when it melts it will hold the nugget in place give it more direct heat untill you see the nugget melt and flow into the joint, pickle, then drill through the pilot hole into the body, thats it job done

Now this shows the problem with the fitting in the boiler the door fowls them.

I arnt half glad I made the the fitting as anothe problem materialised, you can't fully screw the bits into the back head they clash with each other.

I'm going to make a new back head but I'll leave that till next week as I'm starting to get pissed off with it and when that happens I make mistakes.

I may have said before that this was the last engine Curly designed before he passed away the drawing and ME article was finished off by Martin Evans and apparently the two didn't get on, the boiler fitttings are Martins designs they are obviously not what Curly intendes I wonder how many other builders have fallen at the hurdle.

Cheers

Stew

NickG:
Good idea Stew, it is annoying that though. I am sure your layout of backhead will be far neater anyway, it's all a bit tight.

Will have a look at mine again tonight I think. I think, my water gauge doesn't have a blowdown, which is a requirement now anyway and would fail a steam test I think.

Nick

shoey51:
Stew are the clacks for the water topup as I would have thought that they would have been fitted to the side of the boiler. as it is shown there it would make a very busy footplate area :scratch:
nice work tho mate :thumbup:

sbwhart:
Thanks for the PM Nick with the pic showing your back head.

Graham

Yes the clacks are for water top up, there is one in a forward position into the boiler from the axle pump, of the two on the back head, one is for the tender hand pump the other is for an injector, the UK boiler requirements is for two independent water feed systems so I guess I could do without one of them, the jury is out on which is the best system some people say that the axle pump takes too much energy out of the system so get rid of that, others say that injectors are too temprimental so get rid of that, but all agree the hand pump is a must.

Stew

shoey51:
Thanks for that Stew Its prety much the same here. I personaly would have put a clack on each side of the boiler at the front just before the smoke box. and as is done on my loco use NRV and have dual inputs to each clack.and left the firebox area a bit clearer. but as you say you were following the plans and we learn from hindsight.
great work anyway mate :thumbup:
cheers Graham

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