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Post by flyingfox on Oct 24, 2015 7:17:15 GMT
Greetings, having recently completed a 71/4 gauge Britannia, which will traverse a 42 foot radius curve (gauge widened by 1/16 in), I would advise that you made no modifications to the loco, but as soon as possible try the chassis around the track, to check clearances between front wheels & cylinder covers etc, which in our experience are the main problem areas. We have "A3s", "Duchesses" and other large locos regularly using the same curve. Two "9Fs" are regular visitors to our railway, and have not experienced problems. However, increased flange resistance means you will have to apply a bit more power than usual, but your 9F will not be lacking in that area. Regards Brian
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Post by flyingfox on Oct 13, 2015 15:56:34 GMT
Greetings, if you look in a good yacht chandlers, you will find A4 grade stainless socket headed screws, metric thread , and I find these last well doing the job you describe. Screwfix may also sell a suitable size. Brass is very soft, and I find A2 stainless soft as well. Regards Brian
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Post by flyingfox on Oct 12, 2015 7:24:26 GMT
Greetings Julian, re the combining cone halves, I have seen a design somewhere that does not separate the cones completely, but cuts a small slit part way on each side, allowing a web joining the two halves to maintain concentricity. Wonder if it worked? Regards Brian
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Post by flyingfox on Oct 11, 2015 16:52:25 GMT
Greetings, Julian, that was a very interesting thread that you have started, and fills in a few gaps. I have made a few to LDSC design, and never got one to work, however, I made 13 (Bakers Dozen) when Laurie L's first description appeared in ME, expecting one or two to be NBG, but they all worked, some better than others, and I have now learnt to be very heavy on quality control, as Laurie advises. I found the test valve described by Bill Carter very helpful in improving my quality also. One other person, who you have not mentioned was Fred LaRoche, a "Kentish" man, who had made over 2500 injectors, which he used to sell at Open Days & at the famous "Pontins" holiday week. He told me he had "Xrayed" a Linden injector and knew the "secret" years before it became common knowledge. His injectors were made from a casting, and as the foundries closed it got harder for him to get decent product, so his production fell off. Hi tools & jigs a now owned by a fellow Norwich member. Another producer you may not be aware of was Emery Olenkamft, who lived in Chicago, and produced thousands of injectors, mostly for the 7 1/2 in gauge market, using home made castings, produced with the help of his wife Ruby. He was a bit cagey about his design, but agreed that they were simular to Laurie's design. Hope you didn't mind me adding a bit more to your story. Regards Brian
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Post by flyingfox on Oct 6, 2015 7:44:45 GMT
Greetings, I have had good success with Epoxy as used in wooden boat construction. It needs to be applied to clean brass, which will catalyse the reaction. It can be mixed with suitable filler powder to make a paste for filling larger gaps. I build up the tank, leaving off the top, and paint the epoxy thickly on to the joint, until it starts to gel, when it can be left. A boat chandlers is the best place to find it, the West system material is very good. Excess material can be removed when the material is still "Green", not fully cured, and a thin layer will seal the tank top as it is screwed down. I use it for 71/4 gauge ride on tenders as well as less stressed tanks etc. I have found that Araldite is a bit too thick for this job, and of course, epoxy is a much stronger joint than the Polyester resin material mentioned above. I have sealed several tenders that have leaked when they have been soft soldered, and provide the solder is clean, it sticks well. I usually scour the joint area with a rotary wire brush. Hope this helps regards Brian
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Post by flyingfox on Oct 1, 2015 6:58:30 GMT
Greetings , I want a 71/4 set please, so that's one set sold! BB
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Post by flyingfox on Sept 25, 2015 16:11:18 GMT
Greetings to you all, I understand that it is possible to machine a grove to take a O ring in the back of the liner, and seal them that way. I was lucky, mine sealed OK. regards brian
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Post by flyingfox on Sept 16, 2015 16:32:13 GMT
Greetings to you all, I have used simple Hyrostatic lubriacation systems, without an atomising valve, with great success for over 20 years. My latest loco, an A3, has a mechanicial system, and is far more trouble, and is difficult to adjust the oil flow. I am not sure glycerine is a good material to use in the sight glass, I use a saturated solution of Sodium Sulphate, old name Gluber's salt, and it works well. Beware it has strong bowel opening properties! Also, I find that a short piece of thin wire, fuse wire or the like, inserted into the nozzle, makes a path for the oil bubble to follow, and stops the oil running back down the nozzle. I suspect that the oil feed valve was open much too much to flood the sight glass as described. Hope this helps Regards Brian
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Post by flyingfox on Jul 30, 2015 6:55:00 GMT
Greetings, thank you for all the information provided. I have a scale 7 1/4 Britannia ejector fitted, but it is only pulling about 5 " Hg, and I was looking for cone sizes to try & improve it. I think DAG Brown's book has the best info & I will try that first. Regards BB Flying Fox
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Post by flyingfox on Jul 29, 2015 16:08:51 GMT
Yes there is, found it. Many thanks BB
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Post by flyingfox on Jul 29, 2015 7:02:19 GMT
Greetings Can anyone please direct me to a drawing of a steam Vacuum Ejector, suitable for large 5" or 7 1/4 " gauge? I did have one but the little man under the bench must have it at the moment. Thank you Flying Fox
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Post by flyingfox on Jun 17, 2015 7:12:15 GMT
Greetings, splendid video, what a great "gathering" that was. I understand that some A4s had a buckeye coupling which pivoted in the normal drawbar hook chain hole, and it hung down when the usual hook was in use, and had a pin, passing through the hook, which served to secure the buckeye in the up position when it was needed. A drawing would be most interesting. Flying Fox
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Post by flyingfox on May 22, 2015 7:58:04 GMT
Greetings, in my Jubliee, which has performed well in several IMLEC's, I used the single radiant superheater, as per the revised design, but without the syphon. Martin Evans himself was of the opinion that a syphon would be difficult to repair, and not worth the effort of making, but put it in as an option, because of the pressure to be up to date. BB
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Post by flyingfox on Apr 25, 2015 18:41:51 GMT
Greetings, just back from the show, and it was a very enjoyable day, more club stands, more traders, and more "outside" live steamers. Well worth a visit, easy parking & access. Well done to the organisers. Flying Fox
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Post by flyingfox on Apr 25, 2015 18:37:57 GMT
Hi John, I think the best solution is to sacrifice an old pressure gauge, and connect it to the pump output, which will then prove if the pump is capable of delivering oil at the pressure required. Be careful not to over strain the pressure gauge, it will spring up to 150 psi in half a stroke once the delivery pipe is full of oil. you can try this both with & without the check valve, so you can check for blockages/correct working at the same time. If all is OK, then check whether the oil goes into the delivery pipe after the check valve, and if all is OK, then your problem is elsewhere. You did not say if the oil went down in the tank, but if it does, can the system be leaking, presuming it is delivering enough pressure? I think 5 years is enough time to prove that PTFE glands work fine. As an aside, "Iron Duke" is almost ready to steam. Regards BB
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Post by flyingfox on Apr 8, 2015 12:57:50 GMT
Great, but you need to have the original of the test certificate for the boiler to have any value. start looking regards Flying Fox
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Post by flyingfox on Apr 7, 2015 14:46:20 GMT
Greetings, Its sounds like Colin Bushell, who built boilers commercially, near Eynsford, in Kent, but stopped boiler making due to heart trouble in about 2004, or perhaps even earlier. He had a small workshop on a remote industrial estate. He built several for Canvey club members. Flying Fox
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Post by flyingfox on Mar 25, 2015 8:03:49 GMT
Working as much as possible to complete my Ex Winson 71/4 Britannia. Nearly there. BB
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Post by flyingfox on Mar 15, 2015 7:57:12 GMT
Greetings, White spirit is a much more "pure" material to use, easily obtainable, and can often be used "second time around" after it has been used for brush cleaning. Allowed to settle for a few days it clarifies 7 canbe decanted off the paint residue. Either way, it is has a lower sulphur content, and less "heavy ends" in its distillation cut. Finally its available in 2 litre bottles almost anywhere, and is generally a bit cheaper than paraffin. I always use charcoal to avoid the wood residue blocking tubes as mentioned above regards BB
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Post by flyingfox on Dec 16, 2014 16:27:58 GMT
Greetings, judging by your comments, you appear to be fairly new to the joy of live steam locomotives, so I would like to make a few suggestions for you consideration. Firstly, you need to sort out the injectors to enable them to be reliable in use. ask your "club brains" what is the TDS (total dissolved solids) of the water you use, a high number, say over 75 parts per million, (or Mg per litre) would indicate that the injectors would need regular cleaning in, I suggest, Citric Acid. If your "brains" have not tested the water, perhaps they need to.
Secondly, being a beginner, I would reactivate the axle pump by altering the pipe work so that the handpump output is put into the axlepump suction (imput), and the axle pump output goes into the boiler via what was the handpump clack. The axle pump will suck water through the handpump, keeping the balls of the hand pump clean, and you will not need to alter the backhead arrangement. To use the hand pump, close the bypass valve & pump away, the water will pass through the axle pump, freeing its balls if they happen to stick, and pass into the boiler.
It is true that injectors are more thermally efficient, that axle pumps do rob a little power from a loco, and that the backhead is not the best place to inject water into the boiler, but there are many locos that have all these features, and they run well.
Once you gain experience, then you can consider the "brains" advice in relation to your thoughts.
regards
Flying Fox (BB)
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