Good evening and an introduction to myself

[pdbv]

Good Evening all, i hope this finds you well,

I am Pete, and i have 30 years on the clock so far, i have been an engineer for the past 13 years and served my time at Kellogg's and spent the best part of 8 years there and thoroughly enjoyed spending most of my time in the machine shop, from there i have been to Unilever (PG Tips) and a bakery in Bolton finally bringing us to the present day and my current job at Amazon, 

over the years i have had the pleasure of Running many 5" gauge Loco's while i was a member at UDMES in Urmston, and i have also had the pleasure of owning My very own Simplex Locomotive (owned but did not build and sadly no longer have it due to ill health) and also a freelance Electric shunter which i still have and is undergoing a restoration 

this brings me to the reason for joining,

i have been following a chap on YouTube by the name of Keith Appleton, and recently he has been restoring a simplex, i have decided that i would very much like to own another one and this time i would like to build it,

not having the space of the funds to create a "workshop" i will be drawing all the plans up using a CAD program and will be having them laser cut/cnc machined, a long way from the "engineering" and more of a "fitting" job but this will allow me to get what i want and in the future i plan to have my own workshop and build another loco 

If anyone has access to the PDF files for the Super Simplex, a copy would be greatly received 

Well enough of me waffling on and if you made it this far through my ramblings that thank you 

All the best 

Pete

[JonL]

Welcome! I like the idea, it certainly has potential. Just out of interest, I'm sure you are already aware of the Polly kits, but they are effectively doing exactly what you describe, allowing you to construct a kit without much in the way of workshop equipment.

I have no connection with them, but there are many happy Polly owners out there, which must say something.

www.pollymodelengineering.co.uk/sections/polly-locomotive-kits/index.asp

[Jo]

Hi Pete,

Apr 21, 2021 21:04:00 GMT pdbv said:

Good Evening all, i hope this finds you well,.... 
not having the space of the funds to create a "workshop" i will be drawing all the plans up using a CAD program and will be having them laser cut/cnc machined, a long way from the "engineering" and more of a "fitting" job but this will allow me to get what i want and in the future i plan to have my own workshop and build another loco 

Have you thought what you may do about the boiler?

The Polly kits are very good but not cheap, but if you cannot fund a basic workshop you are going to struggle to fund the boiler



I will assume you have "free access to materials/CNC machines" via work   So if you are going to struggle with the boiler costs have you considered building something based around a small petrol engine? 

Jo

[dscott]

As one of my projects round a Simplex Boiler and wheels I am turning her into a more
narrow Gauge Fowler.
Giving the boiler more space for a decent ash pan without the axle in the way.
Longer space for a brake on the front wheels but still using the valve gear.
BUT ANGLED to make it more interesting.
Big tanks and a beefed up motion.

See The Steam Workshops WHO ARE WE... click on Projects Gallery. Click on S W REBUILD 15.
WILD FOWLER.

Mine or owes is named FOWLER COMPLEX.
Big solid lumps for cylinders 1 3/8 inches so as not to upset the Boiler.

David and Lily.

The project of bits came from The Steam Workshop. Personally delivered.

Lily has found the paint.
Vee Dub 1960's vintage last seen at Newquay 1966.