Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Nov 23, 2018 6:20 pm

In position and ready to drain:

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by 11thHour » Sat Nov 24, 2018 11:07 am

Good solution, nicely executed. Keen to see results of steam tests

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Dec 09, 2018 3:56 pm

First run with the modified exhaust and it's a success!


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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by invicta280 » Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:32 pm

Lovely controllable performance. The only thing we couldn't share was the aroma of coal fired steam!

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by 11thHour » Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:28 pm

Do you leave the exhaust valve slightly cracked all the time? Tim

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by artfull dodger » Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:58 pm

Beautiful and very realistic looking engine!! Its a total shame that he will not ship over to the USA/Canada. I think its time for someone over here to built the same kind of boiler set up for a couple of the Roundhouse chassis an sell them affordably. Most coal fired engines over here seem to be tempermental and for the super well endowed in the wallet to buy. For that matter, since the new Mgmt at Roundhouse is going places never gone before like the double Fairlie, maybe its time for Roundhouse to build something like this in house. Then us Yanks can get a coal fired engine that runs as well as these Riverdale boilered engines do. I would build a coal fired Billy if those boilers were available to me. Keep up the excellent modeling with Smokey Sophie! Mike
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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by FWLR » Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:11 am

Love it Tom....

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:58 am

11thHour wrote: ↑Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:28 pm Do you leave the exhaust valve slightly cracked all the time? Tim
I had in mind to connect the valve to a servo or push rod to adjust it (valve closed when building the fire and then adjusted as the run went along) but I have found I don't need to do this as yet and just leave it open slightly.

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:59 am

Thanks for the comments guys, she is so easy to fire (If I can do it anyone can).

Coal firing at least with a Riverdale boiler is not a dark art...

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by Keith S » Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:26 pm

It's an amazing example of what can be done by a skilled enthusiast at home with commercially available parts. The Roundhouse/Riverdale/SSP combination yeilds an impressive machine, but you deserve a lot of credit for the tasteful execution. Everything is very tidy. I especially like the cab fittings.

I'm curious about the "pop" safety valve you've got. All the ones I've seen make a raspy, impolite sound, but yours is almost silent.

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Wed Dec 12, 2018 2:56 pm

Keith S wrote: ↑Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:26 pm I'm curious about the "pop" safety valve you've got. All the ones I've seen make a raspy, impolite sound, but yours is almost silent.
It is a WeeBee safety valve:


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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by daan » Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:08 pm

An absolutely great locomotive. As someone said earlier, very tidy and clean built, but still with the looks of a locomotive in active service. The boiler is very controllable indeed, impressive performance as well. Really fun to watch and see it working. Thanks for posting the video, I whish I could smell the coal as well.. :thumbright:
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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Thu Dec 20, 2018 4:19 pm

Sometimes it pays off to keep things simple:

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The push rod can now operate the exhaust drain valve leaving my spare Rx channel for adding a servo to the blower (when I find a way to squeeze it all in that is!)

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by Big Jim » Fri Dec 21, 2018 3:44 pm

I am a firm believer in the KISS school of engineering.
That looks fine like that. Why make work for yourself?
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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:24 pm

Testing the valve again on a larger line than my own:


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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by FWLR » Mon Dec 24, 2018 7:58 am

That sure is a mightly impressive loco Tom.

Happy Christmas... :santa: :santa:

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Jan 12, 2019 5:13 pm

As this loco is meant to look like a regular workhorse I have decided to see how I can go about doing this on the working parts of the loco without the use of paint.

First to get the chemical treatment is one of the front cylinder covers:

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I am going to try a different brand of blackener as I want the colour to be darker but at least unlike paint it won't chip or flake off!

This cover has had four extra holes drilled and then these have been tapped to take modified smaller bolts than the ones used to screw into the cylinder itself:

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The covers have not been drilled by me using a hand drill as you can see! New or existing covers can be modified with new scale bolts supplied as shown so if you are interested in having this done PM me for details.

Here's a pic of the same cover fitted to my Silver Lady before I blackened it as a comparison:

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by bambuko » Sat Jan 12, 2019 6:37 pm

That definitely looks more realistic :thumbright:

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by FWLR » Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:18 am

I agree. The toning down has made it a more work like loco.

Did working locos keep their colours. Most photos I see of the old working locos are black/dirty black. But now when you see them on heritage lines, they are coloured, as well as black.

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Re: Smokey Sophie - A Roundhouse/Riverdale Amy coal fire build

Post by Big Jim » Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:21 pm

FWLR wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:18 am I agree. The toning down has made it a more work like loco.

Did working locos keep their colours. Most photos I see of the old working locos are black/dirty black. But now when you see them on heritage lines, they are coloured, as well as black.
It depended on where they were and who looked after them and possibly what time period. Some industrial engines were kept very spivved up for all their working lives in some rather fetching colours. Some were kept going with a wing and a prayer and ended up looking black even if their might have been another colour under the grime.

I suspect that for many industrial concerns the option to take an engine out of service for a repaint was probably not an option.
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