Garden Railway Forum

We have a working water pump.

Of course, both balls were stuck in their seats.
Still waiting for good weather to have a test run.

Always good to get another job ticked off. Hope it clears up soon.

Today there was a gap in the rain but....also a leaky fitting which kept me from firing up.
After fixing that I will try again.

Got a few metres under her own steam today, but the backhead looks like a miniature version of the Niaragra Falls.

So back to the workshop.

Slow and steady wins the race.. or something!

Happe new year!

December 31th she did the first lap under her own steam. This is a big step after getting just a few metres on December 26th.
Niagara falls have been removed from the backhead, other minor jobs have been completed.
(And new jobs identified of course)
Next on the list:
- engine pump is not reliable, sometimes it delivers water to the boiler, sometimes not.
- a proper blowdown valve is needed
- the blower is too weak, even at 50psi it cannot hold the fire alive.

And here´s what you might have been waiting for:

The twins:

Superb! Well done.

Excellent. I'm now tempted to construct an over-type loco. One was used on the Aveling & Porter sidings on the Aldeburgh branch at Leiston so it would be nostalgic for me to see if I can find a three foot gauge version for the PLR
Rik

Hi Rik,

these tram locos can become addictive....
We might hold a photo cometition on that topic as well.

Wow! Brilliant to see you bringing it into service. I really love an overtype. For many years I was invovled at the Garratt Works Museum steaming Sirapite up and down a tiny bit of track - happy days.

Looking forward to the next up dates.

Compared to 807, Sirapite is quite huge.
I spent the last workshop sessions building the brake gear.

Took a few tries to get the lever dimensions right.
The handwheel is a Wilesco spare part.

As soon as the weather gets better I will have another test run.
Hopefully I will be on board the train this time.
Draughting has been worked on. Blower power has been improved.
Last time the blower was too weak to hold the fire, even while the engine was not running.
The water pump is reliable now so I be able to get a few laps with driver.

She looks superb, Holger.
Can't wait to see a video of her running.

philipy wrote: Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:28 am She looks superb, Holger.
Can't wait to see a video of her running.

Here you go:
https://youtu.be/qnYce0YG07A

Another test run last weekend showed that the water pump is reliable now.
That´s the good news.

There still is an issue with draughting. Even at standstill using the engine blower or the electric blower I cannot get the pressure above 25 psi.
As boiler and smokebox are one piece there is no leak there. The smokebox door also seals nicely.
The firedoor also seals well.
The suspect in this case is the grate. Bars are 3mm diameter with just 1.5mm gap between them.
I will make a new grate for the next test.

Sounds frustrating. I hope it's just the grate that sorts it, that is a ridiculous bar gap - even 16mm locos have wider spacing..

Hi Aaron,

the spacing is always a bit trial and error.
I use Anthracite coal.
My LBSC Titfield Thunderbolt and my Maxitrak Swallow have had issues with clinker.
A wider spacing of the grate bars solved this problem.
I will just make another grate for 807 and try again.

it´s always a long way to get all components in this line to match.
Firehole door (top air), grate, flues, smokebox tightness, blastpipe, blower assembly.
In this case I am quite sure that the grate is to blame.

Had a few laps on Saturday.
The loco pulls me but needs more weight.
Traction is a real issue.
The new grate works well. When running, she can keep the steam.
However, the blower still cannot keep the fire alive at standstill, even with 75 psi on the clock.
(to be investigated).
It is fun to ride this tiny engine round the garden.
She sounds like a small lawnmower.

Still not happy with the draughting. I am only used to 5" gauge locos having the blower and blast pipe inside the smokebox.
I would like to ask the experts here:

As the exhaust steam enters the chimney above boiler level, how should the blast pipe and blower nozzle look in order to create a good draught?
In this case the blower pipe enters the bottom of the blast pipe and uses the same nozzle.
(Pics to follow)

Investigated further into the draughting issue:
The exhaust steam enters a T-piece...at the bottom.
So much for not obstructing the flow of the exhaust steam.
The blower was also included in this strange contraption.
As soon as I tried to unscrew anything, the exhaust steam pipe and the blower pipe broke off and crumbled to bits.

I have now made a new exhaust steam pipe with a slightly bigger inner diameter, a good-sized bend upwards and a 2mm nozzle.
The blower pipe has received the same treatment.

Under compressed air the difference is huge.
Time to test under steam.