Pearse Switcher run on the railway

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artfull dodger
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Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by artfull dodger » Sun Dec 22, 2019 9:29 pm

First run of our new Pearse Switcher on the railway. Still has issues keeping up steam, and I cannot figure out why yet. She is very slow to raise steam(jet has been cleaned and she lights easy), even with the steam stop valve open, pressure stays up, but once running she gobbles it right up and even having the burner cranked up to a howl she sits at 20lbs or less once it stablizes and never rises above 25 lbs. Everything is steam tight down to the cylinders themselves. So time to open them up
to see what the O rings look like once she cools down. Ran well even with very low pressure on the clock.
https://youtu.be/j0hIBaMvjJ4
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LNR
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Re: Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by LNR » Sun Dec 22, 2019 10:23 pm

Just a thought Mike, before you open up the cylinders, would it be worth while checking the gauge. Perhaps by substitution if you have another one. If the loco has been sitting around or had a hard time the gauge may be under reading.
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Re: Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by strettonsteamer » Mon Dec 23, 2019 10:25 pm

Hi Mike. Looking at the video you have either blow-by on the cylinder 'O' rings, or on one of the piston valves. Over a long period the piston head 'O' rings can get flats on them. I would change those first. They are 15mm OD x 1.5mm section. I always used red silicone, the same as Roundhouse.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Ian

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Re: Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by artfull dodger » Tue Dec 24, 2019 12:13 am

That is exactly what I found Ian, both sides piston head O rings had issues, one side more than the other. I had proper replacments that came with Earl, so both cylinders got fresh O rings on the piston heads and the two steam lines that go into the valve block. I know it has a bit of a timing issue due to the bent frame, the cylinder closest to the camara when the engine passes right in front of me is close to the lead driver than the other side. Do you remember how to get the boiler completely off the frame on these. I removed the 4 mounting screws, but how do you deal with the steam line that passes thru the flue? It needs released from the valve block at the front so I can remove the boiler. If I can get down to just a bare chassis, I can deal with the frame issue. It looks like the model was dropped on the front pilot beam, giving a rainbow shape or smile to the frame from right between the drivers to the front. The rear of the frame at the back of the cab is square. But the front is not. See pic below to see the angled pilot beam and frame at the front. The pilot itself is straight, but the frame it mounts to is not, the bend starts right between the two axles, so this will slightly throw off the timing. Rather straighten the frame than retime with the tweaked frame. Thanks for all the help Ian. I really love the quality of the models you made back then. Mike

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Re: Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by artfull dodger » Thu Dec 26, 2019 8:17 pm

I tore the engine down to a bare rolling chassis today, straighted the bent frame rails and reassembled the chassis, checking for binds and squareness along the way at several stages. took this pic before refitting the boiler to the chassis. The way the frame was bent, which started halfway between the two axles, threw the timing off as one cylinder was moved toward the rear and the other pulled forward. So while it would run, it was choppy at slow speed. After the steam test a few min ago, she is smooth running, all the way down to the peg on the steam gauge as I let pressure get used up after shutting off the gas. Once she cools down, I will refit the cab and swap out the scale knuckle coupler on the front for a LGB one as that is what all of our rolling stock uses other than the logging cars that are link and pin. Mike
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Re: Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by DonW » Sat Dec 28, 2019 5:33 pm

Sound like you have solved it.
Don

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Re: Pearse Switcher run on the railway

Post by artfull dodger » Sat Dec 28, 2019 11:47 pm

Yep, she runs flawlessly now. I posted some pics in the photography section of our small steam up we held today on my railway. The Switcher put in a couple really nice runs and had the honors of pulling the final train of the evening into the darkness. Mike the Aspie
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