smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Aug 12, 2019 8:50:26 GMT
Hopefully this should work: youtu.be/OKENiNpN3jwSo this is me driving 'Netta' around the Leatherhead track on their longer 5" & 7 1/4" ground level circuit on Saturday (10/08/2019). Please excuse the safety valves lifting! Filmed using a GoPro mounted on a gorillapod atop the driving truck. Regards, Dan When I started this hobby 10 years ago one of the guys had a 5" Netta. He used to drive it with the firedoor open for long periods as it made so much steam. Pete.
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Post by dhamblin on Aug 12, 2019 9:00:24 GMT
When I started this hobby 10 years ago one of the guys had a 5" Netta. He used to drive it with the firedoor open for long periods as it made so much steam. Pete. I did try that on a later run and it only lifted once going round, really need a lot more practice to get better at it. On the filmed run the axle pump was on and I only notched back once, whereas on the run after we were using the injector only and firing on the go for two laps at a time. When we got around to packing away the smokebox was half full of ash and there were some large lumps of clinker in the fire, despite raking down to the firebars every other run during the day. Regards, Dan
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Post by gingerneer on Aug 12, 2019 9:04:09 GMT
I have had a weekend of steam. Staines track on the Saturday, West Huntspill track on the Subday. I did struggle with the fire complete clinkering after about 1.5 hours. Still Polly's lubricator is now working well after a complete strip and clean, and replacing non return sring for the ball valve. It does still over oil, so next job is to reduce the travel to the ratchet.
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,912
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Post by JonL on Aug 12, 2019 14:35:33 GMT
I'm still struggling with motivation. I come in from a long shift and the weather is humid and often very hot in the workshop. I just can't seem to get the urge to go out. When I do, I stay out for ages and enjoy it, but I just can't seem to get up to speed.
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Post by ettingtonliam on Aug 12, 2019 15:19:27 GMT
At last! I've just made, located and fitted the last of the 54 blind bronze bushes required for fixing things to Locomotion's boiler shell. Next is to make 60 (54 plus 6 spares) solder rings to fit round the bushes before starting the first of what I calculate should be 5 heating sessions to get them plus 4 big gunmetal bushes silver soldered into the shell. Have been monitoring the weather forecast for good wind free days (the brazing hearth is outside), maybe later this week.
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Midland
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,871
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Post by Midland on Aug 12, 2019 19:56:14 GMT
Worked on my Princess Royal, coming along nicely but I am not going to show any pics nor tell you what I did for fear of getting a bollacking from Julian!! D
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Post by coniston on Aug 12, 2019 21:00:00 GMT
I have had a weekend of steam. Staines track on the Saturday, West Huntspill track on the Subday. I did struggle with the fire complete clinkering after about 1.5 hours. Still Polly's lubricator is now working well after a complete strip and clean, and replacing non return sring for the ball valve. It does still over oil, so next job is to reduce the travel to the ratchet. If it is a standard Polly lubricator then the feed can be adjusted by screwing the outlet body in or out of the housing. This adjusts the position of the internal hole relative to the ram. A simple job but care must be taken to make very small adjustments, only 1/8th of a turn at a time. GLR sell the same lubricators and there is some useful info on their website-https://www.glrkennions.co.uk/Lubricator%20Instructions.pdf if it's not one of these apologies for misunderstanding. Chris D
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Post by delaplume on Aug 12, 2019 23:45:14 GMT
Worked on my Princess Royal, coming along nicely but I am not going to show any pics nor tell you what I did for fear of getting a bollacking from Julian!! D you could always do a mass PM......
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Post by cplmickey on Aug 13, 2019 16:51:30 GMT
At last! I've just made, located and fitted the last of the 54 blind bronze bushes required for fixing things to Locomotion's boiler shell. Next is to make 60 (54 plus 6 spares) solder rings to fit round the bushes before starting the first of what I calculate should be 5 heating sessions to get them plus 4 big gunmetal bushes silver soldered into the shell. Have been monitoring the weather forecast for good wind free days (the brazing hearth is outside), maybe later this week. Would love to see some pictures of your boiler construction. I've got a full boiler kit for Locomotion and wondering the best way to tackle it given the unusual lumps which need to be soldered. Ian
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Post by ettingtonliam on Aug 13, 2019 17:44:42 GMT
When I've finished it I'll tell you what the best way was, and it won't necessarily be the way I did it.
Has your firebox got the flat pressed into the top? If not I've got a press tool and hydraulic press which will do it.
I've deviated from design in several ways. The design shows 3 bushes along the bottom of the boiler, one for the blow down, the other 2 for boiler feed clacks, one for the hand pump and the other for the main pump. The main pump one is completely unneccessary because the pump is on the side of the boiler and feeds directly into the boiler from the pump body. In any event pump clacks on the bottom of the boiler barrel is the worlds worse place to put them, so I eliminated one, and moved the other to the end plate to the left of the firebox. Oh, I also moved the pump 1/2" forward to improve clearance with the wheel flange. This actually puts the pump pretty much where it is on the original Locomotion. The main change is to eliminate all those blind tapped holes into the shell, with doubling plates behind them. I don't regard them as stiffeners, a lot are for things like footboard brackets, so why would they need stiffeners. I've substituted blind phosphor bronze bushes, threaded into the shell (to stop them dropping out during silver soldering) then silver soldered. The boiler inspector agrees with this, he didn't like all those threads into the copper shell either. The only doubling plates I've left in are the ones for the axle cradles and the drawbar.
How far on are you with the construction? Have you seen the entries I did a few months ago in the 'Drawing errors' section of the site?
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,912
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Post by JonL on Aug 13, 2019 20:38:54 GMT
Changed the drive sprocket on the shunter for a smaller one. It moves the top speed up higher than required (with the inherent higher gearing and more stress on the motor) but it does now clear the pointwork, which is a bonus...
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Post by cplmickey on Aug 14, 2019 14:08:42 GMT
When I've finished it I'll tell you what the best way was, and it won't necessarily be the way I did it. Has your firebox got the flat pressed into the top? If not I've got a press tool and hydraulic press which will do it. I've deviated from design in several ways. The design shows 3 bushes along the bottom of the boiler, one for the blow down, the other 2 for boiler feed clacks, one for the hand pump and the other for the main pump. The main pump one is completely unneccessary because the pump is on the side of the boiler and feeds directly into the boiler from the pump body. In any event pump clacks on the bottom of the boiler barrel is the worlds worse place to put them, so I eliminated one, and moved the other to the end plate to the left of the firebox. Oh, I also moved the pump 1/2" forward to improve clearance with the wheel flange. This actually puts the pump pretty much where it is on the original Locomotion. The main change is to eliminate all those blind tapped holes into the shell, with doubling plates behind them. I don't regard them as stiffeners, a lot are for things like footboard brackets, so why would they need stiffeners. I've substituted blind phosphor bronze bushes, threaded into the shell (to stop them dropping out during silver soldering) then silver soldered. The boiler inspector agrees with this, he didn't like all those threads into the copper shell either. The only doubling plates I've left in are the ones for the axle cradles and the drawbar. How far on are you with the construction? Have you seen the entries I did a few months ago in the 'Drawing errors' section of the site? Yes I have thanks and they're stored away on the PC for future reference. I'm back on with the 9F at the moment as well as slowly making progress on the Baldwin so Locomotion has very much taken a back seat. I started on the tender first as being a wood frame it gives me something different to play with when I need a change. Not got very far though, just some ash stretchers, the axle boxes and the horns so far. This winter me and my mate plan to make 2 Dart boilers (how many years have I said that) so the Locomotion boiler could get done at the same time. Not sure about the firebox being flat-topped, from memory it's just a tube but I'd have to dig it out to be sure. Ian
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Post by springcrocus on Aug 14, 2019 16:44:39 GMT
Spent a rather soggy morning helping set up the club's portable track at the forthcoming Garlic Festival. Here's a picture of the Permanent Way Gang, although I suppose they should really be called the Temporary Way Gang since we have to dismantle it again on Sunday evening. Middle of August and it feels like mid November. Steve
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Post by ettingtonliam on Aug 14, 2019 17:34:39 GMT
Ian The main problem with the Locomotion boiler,doing it my way with blind bushes, unless you are a CNC whizz which I'm not, is that you have to make all the fiddly bits which fit on the boiler first, to make sure the holes for the bushes go in the right place! The firebox is a tube, but there is a flat about 2" x 2" under the rear cylinder, to give clearance for the cylinder end.
Richard
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,912
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Post by JonL on Aug 14, 2019 18:13:20 GMT
Tonight I modified a mini moto front sprocket to fit my little motor for the shunter. Astonishing little motor, 3100 watts and the size of a can of red bull. Water cooled too.
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timo
E-xcellent poster
Completing 3 1/2 Rainhill .Building 5" Railmotor and waiting to start 3 1/2" King
Posts: 234
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Post by timo on Aug 14, 2019 21:07:29 GMT
Tonight I modified a mini moto front sprocket to fit my little motor for the shunter. Astonishing little motor, 3100 watts and the size of a can of red bull. Water cooled too. Sounds interesting, do you have the make / model of the motor?
Tim
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Post by delaplume on Aug 15, 2019 1:15:13 GMT
This evening we had our Annual Bar-B-Q and night running session............and it DIDN'T RAIN !!!..........
Thanks goes to Steve and Rosemary Milnes for providing the food and cooking it along with all those fabulous cheesecake toppings.....Inside their marquee were placed two wooden garden bench tables recently constructed by our own "Birminham Barry" and these proved popular with the Senior Citizens Alcoholic Embibement squad !!
Recent tree and shrub plantings along with regular grass cutting has seen the track and site in general begin to take on a more permanent "look".....
Plans are in place for a tunnel at some stage and a passing loop at the station to keep service trains mobile whilst changing passengers....
About 35 in attendance...
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Post by ettingtonliam on Aug 15, 2019 6:44:48 GMT
Alan That wouldn't be the Steve Milnes who used to work for Shropshire County Council in the 1980s and who then (may still do) owned a steam roller, would it? He'd be in his 70s by now.
How on earth did you avoid the rain, I thought it was pretty universal across the Midlands last night.
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Post by simplyloco on Aug 15, 2019 7:25:47 GMT
I noticed this little snippet on the BBC News website. Students were told not to worry on Wednesday after the marks for each grade boundary for all subjects of the two major exam boards, Pearson/Edexcel and OCR, were leaked online.The documents revealed that to achieve an A grade, candidates for most maths A-level papers had to score only just over half marks.When I received my 'A' grading on my A1 military trade training course I had to get over 88% in all subjects... No wonder so many people these days just 'don't make the grade'!
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Aug 15, 2019 7:41:24 GMT
Forgot our anniversary today. Isn't she gloating. She normally forgets and I do the gloating.
I went to my Speed Awareness Training yesterday. Some food for thought on the statistics they produced and I realised my van is limited to 50mph on single carriageways, not the 60 I have been doing. I found the classroom environment quite tough in terms of noise and vision. Having gone 47 years without a ticket I wonder if I can see my time out without a second one.
Off to Llanelli's Steam Gala at Pembrey Country Park for a run with the Holmside today.
Pete.
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