''TICH''

[lancelot]

Hello folks,
not long now, I hope you all have your lists in.
G.L.R. says Santa might be running a bit late with the rest of my bits for the ''TICH'' so it could be well into the new year before I get them.
At the moment progress has been made on the frames and buffer beams, they have been assembled along with the horn blocks being milled out and rivetted on,I think that I am playing the right notes for the ''MUSIC'' but not necessarily in the right order,...axel boxes have been made, the wheels and axels are made.
I think the next steps are the crank pins and the rod linkage, then the cylinders.
Question...I note from viewing some pictures of the axel set up,that some have ''SPRINGS'' above and below the axel boxes,others would appear to have them just between the box and the horn block, could you advise on best set up.
Have any problems in the build been encountered?
All the very best for now, have a happy holiday and a prosperous new year,
John.

[spurley]

Hi Lancelot

[spurley]

Hi Lancelot

Sorry about last message not much help!!

I have reached the point of having a Walshaerts' valve gear version of TICH chassis running on air and have followed the 'words and music' religiously. I have fitted the springs on mine between the tops of the axleboxes and the upper inside surface of the horns as per LBSC guidance. I bought these springs from GLR but found they were too large diameter for the holes I'd drilled . So if you haven't got your springs yet, I would recommend you hold off drilling the receiving holes for them until you can check the OD before drilling. I also drilled very shallow holes/detents in the upper face of the horns to co-incide with the springs after finding it difficult to keep them aligned when assembling.

The method with springs fitted below the boxes through the horn keeps are generally suited to locos with larger wheels and consequently more clearance between horn keeps and any obstructions/check rails on the track.

Please keep in touch as you progress and I will also pass on any other pitfalls I came across.

Cheers

Brian

[lancelot]

Hello Brian,
thank you for the reply, it will probably be well into the new year before the springs and the rest of the material arrives, so I am glad I did not bore any holes in that area...
My cylinder sets are all in gunmetal, one solid chunk for each, no core, so will all have to be well set up and machined.
Have you ever heard of the ''soft'' ? iron rivets supplied for securing the horn blocks, having to be ''annealed'' or treated in some fashion?, reason I ask, is that they were not so easy to put down into the countersinks as I would have thought.
Will be certain to keep in touch, as I am sure to have lots more to ask about,
All the best for now,
John.

[spurley]

Hi John

I used some iron rivets I bought in a load of other fastseners as a job lot. They went down OK but I really did have to hit them!!

Regarding annealing, I would say that the basic process is as follows:
1. Lay the rivets to be annealed in your brazing hearth or on some firebrick .
2. Heat the rivets carefullly to 'cherry red' heat and maintain at this for about 1 minute.
3. Remove the heat and allow to cool naturally. Better still have some extra firebrick or insulation to hand to keep the rivets as hot as possible for the longest period after removing the heat source. The slower they cool the softer they are!

That is the method I have used, successfully, on some half shaft material I got hold of. I did the annealing and was able to machine it and then do the opposite treatment to harden again afterwards. The only difference was that I quenched the part in clean cold water, making sure I plunged it in as straight as possible to avoid distortion.

Maybe others can guide you better than this, but I found the above to work well for me.

Cheers

Brian

[lancelot]

Hello Brian.
just had a look at the so called ''soft iron rivets ''as supplied by G.L.R....a pair of good quality cutters found it hard to put a dent in them, some how I do not think that they were ''soft'' iron,. I must have a word with G.L.R. I have used many kinds of rivets in the Aircraft buisness, the ''soft'' iron ones went down like ''butter''...now in saying that, if I remember, all of the rivets were stored in a fridge freezer...''pre treatment process''?...as you say having to overdo the hammering into countersink bit can have ill effects on a 3/32'' thick frame...I must try your idea and also put some in the freezer for future use.
All the best for now,
John.

[lancelot]

Hello all,
still beavering away at the ''TICH''....now please don't all jump on me at once....cos I'm going to ''BUY'' a boiler!!! call it cheque book engineering....whatever....but I know my limitations, and they most certainly do not cover boiler making....so in saying all that, could I please pick your collective brains as to where I might obtain the best deal for a finished 3'' [large boiler] for my ''TICH'', within the u/k.
All the best for now,
John.

[standardsteam]

Two places you could look at (although I have not purchased from them)

www.cheddarvalleysteam.co.uk/ - note long lead times though, order in advance!

and

www.westernsteam.co.uk/

My club had a talk by the Cheddar Valley guy, and his experience is extensive, he also seems to have the luxury of a fairly full order book, or enough work to keep him occupied at the moment! I have met some of the Western Steam people at ME exhibitions.

[lancelot]

Hello Standardsteam,
researched the various boilermakers...quoted prices and lead times varied from £375.00 @ 4 mths. to almost £700.00 @ 9 mths to 1 yr.
Curtesy of e.bay I won a 1/2 built ''TICH'' complete with unused boiler, all for a couple of hundred odd pounds, the boiler was professionaly made by ''KENNIONS'' and just needs re certificated.
All the best for now,
John.