model rollers

[Deleted]

Hi Folks, I am new to the site but have had an interest in model and full size steam for many years. I have recently come back to model engineering having inherited my late fathers workshop including his lathe etc. I have been thinking what to put his equipment to use on. A model loco means a club track to run on. A traction engine or roller would be usable at home. It will have to be 2" to be usable, I don't think you could really ask the 1" Minnie to pull an adult behind it. I have always liked the 3" Simplicity roller but have heard some reports of underpowered for size etc. The Burrell looks nice. Any thoughts on 2" rollers would be appreciated.

[jasonb]

A lot will depend on what use you want to put the engine to, a 2" roller will happily pull a couple of people on flat hard ground but may struggle on a wet rutted rally field.

The Burrell that MJ do is a nice compact model, I'm doing their 2" Fowler A7 (see pics in MJs gallery) The castings are all very good quality and Alan Is good to deal with.

LSM do a 3" Marshall but thats quite a large engine, you could also us ethe 2" minnie castings and fabricate the roller parts which would give a good size engine at over 40" long

[Laurie_B]

Hi Vulcan,welcome to the site.
In addition to the MJ Burrell design,there are also two designs for Aveling and Porter rollers in 2" scale,by the late John Haining.
One design is the for the compound AD type,the other for the slightly less conventional type AM tandem roller,although this design does not appear to be still listed now.
Hope this is of help.


Laurence.

[ettingtonliam]

I built a 3" Simplicity many years ago (my only ever entry to the Model Engineer Exhibition, 1972 or 1973, can't remember which now). Its easy enough to build, the boiler is an absolute doddle, no stays at all, and the wheels are a straightforward turning operation if you've got a big enough lathe. I was using the original Plastow drawings which had the dimensions for both the 3" and the 4 1/2" on one drawing - nightmare, but I think that Stuart Models had them redrawn when they took over the range.
It isn't a serious haulage engine, cylinder is very small, but its OK for trotting around pulling the driver, but not much more. It is an absolute pig to fire, I seem to remember that you can't actually see the fire from the driving position, or only with great difficulty. Another problem is that if the thing primes, some of water lodges in the smokebox, runs back down the tubes, thankd to the inclined boiler, and puts out the fire ---. There is a drain plug in the smokebox, but if you take that out, it doesn't steam as well.
Producing the corrugated roof sheets is an unusual exerecise.

I understand that the 4 1/2" is a much better machine to actually drive, but is obviously much bigger and heavier.

Anyway, for all its shortcomings, I enjoyed building it.

Richard

[Deleted]

Thanks for you're thoughts regarding rollers. I have always liked big mechanical machines. I worked on gun tanks in the army for 12 years and now fix buses. As kids we used to go to a lot of steam fairs were I would spend the day looking at rollers, never mind the showmans engines. Rollers have a certain charm, nothing too fancy but very functual. The Simpicity is not quite as it looks, no wheels to build and a simple boiler. But I think the drawbacks outlined have to be considered carefully. I don't want to build some thing I wont enjoy running . The 2" Burrell roller is looking good. Alan from MJ engineering has contacted me with some information and it sounds a good choice. I had thought of having the boiler built for me to get me quickly into main build. Any thoughts on a single or the compound, obviously the single is less work.The lathe inherited from my late father is a nearly new Warco Mini. Very different to my old ML2/4 on a cast iorn treadle stand. I know the Warco has its limits but now I am getting use to it I can see it being usable. I have bad memorys of one roller incedent. Local steam fair a few years ago, very wet weekend, large roller being driven on to a trailer. Lots of wet grass and mud . The roller slid off the trailer luckly just dropping the front roll off the ramps sideways

[jasonb]

In the smaller sizes I don't think it makes much difference between a single or compound performance/ecconomy of running wise so it really comes down to the amount of work you want to put into it.

I opted for a prof made boiler on my Fowler, from Western Steam as suggested by Alan and am very pleased with it.

If you are not too far away from MJ then pop in and have a look at a finished engine and the drawings to see whats involved. If you do decide to go for it its well worth getting the build manual, they are a big help with the build. Or if you can wait until MJ's open day there should be some other engines & builders there.

Jason

[peterhill]

I was going to make a 2in Minnie roller, but for now will build the tractor version. Don't fancy cutting 2in thick plate for the front fork, i will try to make up pattens for the roller parts later and have them cast in iron.

peter

[jasonb]

May be cheaper to look into lazer or water jet cutting for the fork

If made as a true convertable you would have the best of both worlds, roller for smooth sites, agri for muddy fields

Jason

[albert]

Hello,
I have a friend who has built and runs on rally fields a 2" Burrell roller,the only major mod we have done is to turn down the wheel rims and had moulded rubber 1/8in. thick added.
This made for quiter and better adhesion on hard roads,and rally running he gets lost for hours.
Albert

[Deleted]

Thanks for you're input so far. I think it will be the 2" Burrell roller, single cylinder. I am holding back a little at the moment until I have tryed the Warco Mini lathe that came with fathers workshop. I have only had dealings with an old Myford ML2/4. I may go back to a Myford, probably an ML7. The people at MJ reckon I could manage there roller on an ML7. First I am ordering there book to get the feel of things.