Author Topic: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine  (Read 183872 times)

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #300 on: March 09, 2010, 07:47:13 AM »
Nick

I'm following Curley's design, I've seen one or two different regulator designs this is the simplest, I've not given to much taught about fixing it in the boiler, I suppose you could seal it with a dab of boss white.

Cheers

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Rob.Wilson

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #301 on: March 09, 2010, 08:01:25 AM »
Hi Stew

This is a great build ,i have the plans and a few of  the castings for Rob Roy 3,1/2" G ,i must have ago at building a loco one day  :proj: keep the photo's coming  :clap:

Cheers Rob

Offline NickG

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #302 on: March 09, 2010, 08:59:34 AM »
True, I'm sure there will be some sort of sealent we can use, it just doesn't seem the best design,

Another point is that when using it, there is a bit of flex in the rod that connects from regulator handle to the valve so it doesn't feel very positive when closed if you know what I mean, there's a bit of spring in it, suppose could get around this by having some sort of quadrant at the handle / lever end with a positive stop on it.

I prefer the sweet pea design and the one on another 5" gauge engine I had which has the valve situated external to the boiler where the handle is with a poppet type valve. Sweet pea doesn't have a steam dome but the other did, it collected steam from a pipe in the dome, transferred it back to the back plate and back to the front plate again. I am sure Curley has his reasons for putting the valve in the dome though, probably to give the steam a shorter route and less chance of condensation or something.

anyway, good work on that. I think I might have to lap the faces on mine and make sure the spring is strong enough too.

Nick
Location: County Durham (North East England)

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #303 on: March 14, 2010, 09:21:55 AM »
Bin somewhat distracted this week any way got the regulator part finished as it got to fit on the boiler it will nead a bit of fetleing when the boilers built.

So her it is in the Closed position.



And Open



As its out of vew in the boiler i didn't bother with bling but its got it where it counts

Thats one struck off the to Do List

Cheers

Stew
« Last Edit: March 14, 2010, 09:29:25 AM by sbwhart »
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
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Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline NickG

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #304 on: March 15, 2010, 08:33:03 AM »
Looking good that Stew.  :thumbup: Will you be putting anything on there as a stop when it's fully open? Presume it will start to close again after that if you kept turning regulator handle?

Nick
Location: County Durham (North East England)

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #305 on: March 15, 2010, 12:45:22 PM »
Nick

The bar held in place with the brass screw is the stop.

I've just been to Macmodels and bought some 1/8" stainless for the control rod and a chunk of 1 1/2" square brass for the chimney, I was all set up to start making chips tomorrow then school rang asking if i could go in and invigilate an exam as they are short of numbers, best laid schemes and all that, but it adds to the shop fund.
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline NickG

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #306 on: March 15, 2010, 04:25:37 PM »
Oh, good stuff - a bit extra pocket money.  :lol:

Nick
Location: County Durham (North East England)

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #307 on: March 18, 2010, 12:31:41 PM »
Well after a very pleasant day visiting Dave Stilldrilling and vewing some of his engine collection.

Thanks for you'rs and Mrs Stilldrilling,s hospitality Dave I realy enjoyed my visit.

The job realy hit the buffers well four of them to be correct for the loco just a simple turning job but one that had to be done.



And her's the finished job



Thats another one off the To Do List

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #308 on: March 18, 2010, 01:33:46 PM »
Well after a very pleasant day visiting Dave Stilldrilling and vewing some of his engine collection.

Thanks for you'rs and Mrs Stilldrilling,s hospitality Dave I realy enjoyed my visit.

Stew

Yer welcome Stew, anytime!

Was a real pleasure meeting you, and discussing our type of engineering....  :thumbup:

Great job on the buffers!  :clap:

David D
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #309 on: March 21, 2010, 06:14:43 AM »
Thanks Dave

Started work on the tender hand pum.

For the body I used a bit of Phos Bronze tubing I picked up at the scrappy it was one of those chance finds, luckily the bore cleaned up nicely with a 1/2 " reamer.

Hers the set up for drilling the pump body to take the valve chest.



And her it is all silver soldered together.




Have fun

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #310 on: March 23, 2010, 12:15:21 PM »
On with the tender hand pump.

I neede some Hex bar to make some of the fitting I didn't have any but I have quite a bit of ally bronze, so using the indexer with its tail stop I made it into some 1/2 hex.



I've made a few pump using balls and was never to happy with them so decided to make this one with poppet valves.

Her it is



Tested it out at first it didn't do much then I remembered that they like a bit of back pressure so stuck my finger over the end that did the trick got a eye full of water, made a little reduction cap with a 1mm hole just to test it out, it gave a nice jet over 5 M across the garden.

Her's the completed pump



Thats another strike off the To Do List



Next job up the chimney I've bought a nice bit of 1 1/2" Sq brass for this job, and then I can't escape it any longer I'll have to make a start on the boiler.

Have fun

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #311 on: March 23, 2010, 01:48:21 PM »
Nicely done (again) Stew!  :clap:

I like your poppet valve mod....  :thumbup:

You keep on ticking `em off.

Dav id D
David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline Bernd

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #312 on: March 23, 2010, 03:47:31 PM »
Nice looking hand pump Stew.  :thumbup:

Bernd
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Offline NickG

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #313 on: March 23, 2010, 04:16:48 PM »
Yep, nice hand pump there Stew.  :thumbup:

That indexer has come in very handy!
Location: County Durham (North East England)

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #314 on: March 24, 2010, 01:51:42 PM »
Thanks Chaps

On with the Chimney, you can buy a casting for this but I just fine the hassle of casting too much far easyer to make it from solid.

Visited Macmodels and picked up a chunk of 1 1/2" squ free cutting brass I asked for 4" but he gave me a good 6" for the cost of 4".

Her it is in my self centering four jaw, both ends faced with a running centre.



First the chimney was roughed out, then with the help of some radius gauges I ground myself up some form tools.



And her it is with the OD finished, just got to stick a hole down the middle now.





Have fun

Stew

A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline Bluechip

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #315 on: March 24, 2010, 03:01:04 PM »
Stew

I'm impressed   :beer:

That's one handsome chimbley .. couldn't knock one up for me Astra could you ?

Dave BC
I have a few modest talents. Knowing what I'm doing isn't one of them.

Offline Bernd

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #316 on: March 24, 2010, 03:23:14 PM »
Ya, that's pretty darn good for free hand turning Stew.  :thumbup:

Bernd

Took a closer look at the tool pic. I missed that they were form tools.
« Last Edit: March 24, 2010, 06:51:09 PM by Bernd »
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Offline NickG

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #317 on: March 24, 2010, 03:50:25 PM »
Very nice work with those form tools stew, I had no idea the chimney was 1 piece. think someone's cheated on mine and fabricated it, they used bit of rolled or bent plate for bottom where you will be probably be flycutting to get the rad to sit on smokebox.

Nick
Location: County Durham (North East England)

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #318 on: March 24, 2010, 08:23:14 PM »
You're sure motoring (or should that be chuffing?) your way through that list Stew   :dremel:


With very nice results too  :clap:




I'd have never been able to stick to the plan.... it'd have been all sorts of shapes  :D





Looking forward to the rest  :thumbup:



Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline dsquire

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #319 on: March 24, 2010, 09:40:45 PM »
Stew

You have really got the pieces shaping up nicely. won't be long now and we will see the results of all this fine work. That pump and chimney are works of art Stew. Keep up the good work, we're watching.  :ddb: :ddb:

Cheers  :beer:

Don
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Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #320 on: March 25, 2010, 03:36:52 AM »
Thanks for your support Guys

Nick LBSC words and music give three options for making the chimney:- 1: casting, 2: fabricate on a bit of 1" tube with soldered rings, 3: solid from a bit of 1 1/2" squ of material, I guess the chimney for your engine used option 2: . From the works drawings the square base is riveted to the chimney with the whole lot bolted to the smoke box, so yours is probably a truer representation, I'll have to have a think as to how I can simulate those rivets.

I think engine chimneys are very important to the visual appearance of an engine, its the first thing the eye sees.


Looking forward to the rest  :thumbup:

Ralph.

I didn't think you'd been working that hard
 
:lol:

Have fun

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline Divided he ad

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #321 on: March 25, 2010, 04:57:06 AM »
Quote
I didn't think you'd been working that hard

Ok...  :poke:  Taken!

But I have been working..... On my car. Ruptured the fuel tank on a rock  :doh:  :bang:  :wack:  :(  So spent most of last night fixing it..... No, not welding etc (I'm not stupid!)

Drilled out the crease and used this strange, erm, well, kinda like home diy captivated thread making kit and some chemical metal.

Done it before and it worked, so did it again and it seems to be ok..... So far!  Well it's stopped me needing a new 100+ Quid tank this weekend I think?

Anyway  :offtopic:


Rivets? Maybe you'll have to solder/bond a bunch into holes drilled using the indexer/RT? Might work? 





Still enjoying the thread  :thumbup:





Ralph.
I know what I know and need to know more!!!

Offline Stilldrillin

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #322 on: March 25, 2010, 05:09:50 AM »
By `ek Stew!   :bugeye:

Now........ That`s blummin impressive!   :bow: :bow:

Well done!  :clap:

David D

David.

Still drilling holes... Sometimes, in the right place!

Still modifying bits of metal... Occasionally, making an improvement!

Offline sbwhart

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #323 on: March 25, 2010, 07:51:01 AM »
Thanks guys

Hard luck with the tank Ralph but it sounds like you got a good fix.

Drilling the hole in the chimney small drill then bigger then bigger then 7/8 to take the copper liner.



Then part it off.

Now a bit of forward planning is required the chimney still needs the base flycutting to match the smoke box but I can't do that until I've made the smoke box, it will be an awkward shape to hold its got a 1 1/2 deg taper and all those radiuses and flanges to get round, to machine the taper I set the compound over, so without changing the compound bore out a collar at the same angle.



Split it and you've made a split collar that will perfectly match the chimney taper.

Her it is being used to clean up the base of the chimney after parting off, this will help when I come to set it up to fly cut the rad in the base to fit the smoke box.




Her is the chimney part finished with the copper liner and the collar I'll safely store them away.



That another off the list.

Stew

A little bit of clearance never got in the road
 :wave:

Location:- Crewe Cheshire

Offline raynerd

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Re: Building a 31/2" Gauge Locomotive Engine
« Reply #324 on: March 25, 2010, 09:21:44 AM »
Nice work Stew, I don`t post too often on here because I have nothing useful to say other than this thread is certainly an excellent lesson for me and I am still following this with interest.
Chris