Iconic Aircraft Aviation Forum

Thanks for the 'extra' pics, Dougs. Great stuff!

PW

What a lovely day, went down to the track for my first ever open day to run and haul passengers took a while to get steam up the fire just didn't want to get going. Once I got it running I loaded up the two massive carriages and pulled into the station next thing I know I have 8 passengers so I started off and no problems. I did find my driving is not as good as it could be but Butch behaved very well indeed an I carried passengers for over an hour absolutely fab.

Pleased to see that 'Butch' behaved well today, Dougs. Looks magnificent You were really fortunate with the weather. There is a strange brightness in the sky here today......if I remember rightly, it could actually be the sun (at long last!!!!!!!!!!). Will now postpone the completion of my 'Ark' for the time being

PW

Slightly jelous once again dougs.... I spent the day under a Land Rover Discovery changing its clutch, i know what i'd rather been upto....

Was rather good fun although I spent all my time on track being chased down by this monster

very nice running engine it has 7 and a bit inch wheels so it shifts a bit although I think my passengers got good value as the ride took quite a bit longer

Always seems to be something going on, I got this made for my show stand

I will pop a picky up once it's done and we get some good weather for some photo's

A very nice 'finishing touch', Dougs.

PW

A couple of photo's of Butch running this weekend
sitting all lonely waiting to get steamed up

the one bad thing about the driving cars is there are no cupholders for your tea

I then got to thinking what if i made a video of a ride on the footplate so i will be filming one over the next few weeks and will share it when finished but here is a taster for you.

she ran very well indeed the efforts of pulling passengers seems to be very beneficial i am gettting better at driving too and learning lots of tricks like getting the fire running properly (makes a huge difference) i have also found it likes smaller bits of coal seems to run much better.
next week i am passenger hauling again so hopefully i will be better than last time

Many thanks for the pics and video, Dougs. Pleased to hear that all went well and what a 'bonus', to have such fantastic weather!

PW

the one bad thing about the driving cars is there are no cupholders for your tea

Are you seriously suggesting that you can fettle just about anything for a steam engine but you haven't made a useable mug holder for the drivers seat ????!!!!

I think I'd rather have a holder for my tea than the seat itself

Nice pictures and good update - you now seem to be learning about firebox and boiler efficiency I have noted on various videos I've seen on full size engine firemen that they don't just shovel coal in - they place it carefully - forward/backward/left or right to keep the fire even... I would never have thought of that

Spitfire wrote:

the one bad thing about the driving cars is there are no cupholders for your tea

Are you seriously suggesting that you can fettle just about anything for a steam engine but you haven't made a useable mug holder for the drivers seat ????!!!!

I think I'd rather have a holder for my tea than the seat itself

Nice pictures and good update - you now seem to be learning about firebox and boiler efficiency I have noted on various videos I've seen on full size engine firemen that they don't just shovel coal in - they place it carefully - forward/backward/left or right to keep the fire even... I would never have thought of that

it is amazing how much better it keeps the water on the boil when the fire is spread across the fire grate i am also using small beans of coal which also seems to burn hotter which has helped an awful lot. there is definately an art to driving and firing a steam engine Ray could prob. apreciate that fact more than most as he has driven one of the biggie's.
regarding the cup holder i have a plan, the 7 plank waggon i am going to be building will have an "area" reseved for the drivers refreshment. the rest will be coal storage.

Dougs wrote:regarding the cup holder i have a plan, the 7 plank waggon i am going to be building will have an "area" reseved for the drivers refreshment. the rest will be coal storage.

Make sure it's one of these ....



http://footplateequipment.co.uk/index.php/gift-ideas/for-the-fireman/enamelteabrewcan.html

love it!!!

a small bump in the road to report I am afriad
I was running on sunday and had a breakdown the gland seal blew out on my valves this is a small bit of string that is covered in graphite and oil to seal the valve, so i am back to taking it all apart again

I am replacing all the seals with Orings (I know I have been here before but i have had some advise this time) so i am fitting silicon orings these are designed for use in hot and wet enviroments

more importantly they wont blow out hopefully I will give them a good test and fit them to my new loco if it works out ok.
anyway I am also starting the build of my coal waggon so I will start another thread to cover this.

This is what world class fettling is all about ... try it - find the weak spots - take it to bits again - drink tea - mull it over - drink more tea - improve it - rebuild it - feel smug and drink more tea - try it again

Sorry to hear about the 'blow out', Dougs. 'These things are sent to try us', as they say!!!

PW

34053 wrote:Sorry to hear about the 'blow out', Dougs. 'These things are sent to try us', as they say!!!

PW

its all good experiance Ray and I get to play mechaninc again
if it happens again with the orings I can just tighten it back up so it has helped quite a bit, also I think I will be gaining alot more power and quite a bit more efficency looking at the state of the seals I have removed so its actually turned out to be a bit of a blessing.

as I have it in bits again I am going to add a bit of detail the makers plate the photo below shows the design but it will be tiny 14mm wide

and while i was at it i thought one of these for the door would be good

its a shed plate that relates to coalville in the late 60's

Add a tiny plate somewhere with your name and the current rebuild date for future generations as this model will probably outlive you

My Dad has made me a grandfather clock with his name and the build date on the face - for posterity - in my opinion you should do the same somewhere inconspicuous

Spitfire wrote:Add a tiny plate somewhere with your name and the current rebuild date for future generations as this model will probably outlive you

My Dad has made me a grandfather clock with his name and the build date on the face - for posterity - in my opinion you should do the same somewhere inconspicuous

The top one covers the build my great grandfather built it in 1969 ish I will add the same sort of thing to my loco when I finish it it is a nice touch. I would not bother putting my name on it though just a build date and location. Sadly these things can be lost in a generation tho my grandad's brother has another one of my great grandad's loco's he built in the 40's and it's sadly rusting to bits under a bench he has no interest in fixing it up and won't let it go so it's going to be lost forever if it is not already past saving not everyone likes em, my son is very uninterested in all things mechanical some people get the bug some don't that's life suppose.

Don't agree - somewhere there should be a plate with your name on and this rebuild date - doesn't have to be visible For posterity

not everyone likes em, my son is very uninterested in all things mechanical some people get the bug some don't that's life suppose.

Biggest disappointment to me was that my son has no interest in planes or my flying model making - at all - which is a great shame as when he was about 18 he came once to the flying field and I tentatively asked if he wanted a go with the radio transmitter and he took it without any nerves and just flew as well as me right off the bat - and in some ways better He was a complete natural - which he put down to computer games ... but that was the one and only time

He has made models - but of obscure things like the Tardis and Saturn V etc but what lets him down is his autistic tendencies to have things exactly 'right' - he scratch built a brilliant Tardis scale model and I even got a flashing light working on the top for him - but he kept changing it .. the colour wasn't right - this frame or that wasn't right - even the light wasn't flashing as it should .. and eventually he ruined it completely then lost interest and it got binned. I was mortified - he couldn't give a monkeys

But as you say -that's life

I have fixed the "blowout" and I need to test it out but it looks awsome the seals are great on the valves and pistons, I have also started the loco builders plates and shed plates the negative mask is done

there are a few spares as the etching may not go perfectly so I can at least pick the best of the bunch.
That's the one thing with this hobby you never know what you are going to learn next I had never even thought about etching, I had asked a workmate to look at laser milling a plate for me but he was busy so I looked into alternatives so I could get it made quicker
There will be a slight delay as I have to order some etch fluid and some masking equipment I will post up the results when I get sorted

Thanks Dougs.

PW

bit of an update on the loco plates they are etched ready for painting

really easy to do and this is what they look like trimmed

the top one says F.Sleigh who built butch (thanks to spitfire for that one!) the middle one is a nearly standard build plate and the bottom one is the Coalville shead plate
i also tried the loco on sunday to see what the new seals were like and it worked very well albeit quite stiff so it needs a bit of a "run in" to free it all back off again it does WHOOPH more tho so i can tell there are no leaks anymore!

Dougs wrote:the top one says F.Sleigh who built butch (thanks to spitfire for that one!)

There you go - history recorded for future generations ...and posterity

Your extensive rebuild and your name should really have been recorded too - like I said not necessarily on a visible plate but somewhere underneath perhaps

Dougs wrote: so it needs a bit of a "run in" to free it all back off again it does WHOOPH more tho so I can tell there are no leaks anymore!

Yay for the WHOOMPH

Plates look good, Dougs. Also, pleased to hear that your Loco' is now 'leak free'.

PW