My Live Steam Loco's No.8 - Mamod SL1K

[Chris Cairns]

More Hmm!

I brought a vinegar solution to the boil in this boiler, lots of agitation, and flushed well with hot water. Did get some small black deposits out of it, but nothing major. No real change in performance.

So decided to fit the Dream Steam sourced MSS reverser/regulator valve. This had appeared to work OK in the SL3 until the whistle insert starting leaking, and that loco is now awaiting a de-rivet to repair it.

Raised steam with this replacement valve but was reluctant to go. Eventually got it to partly run, but it seems that at least one exhaust path is blocked as it is pushing one of the cylinders off the back plate with resultant steam leak.

I'm aware of this chassis holes misalignment problem, but it is some what strange here as both the chassis frames & the replacement valve are from MSS. Looks like I'll need to do some careful measuring of these holes and outlets.

Whilst removing the old valve I noticed it was leaking from the seam between the 2 pieces. I must have not soldered this up properly, and interestingly that is what happened on a replacement valve I got from Dream Steam. Just need to see if I can clamp these 2 pieces together tightly whilst I re-solder up the seam.

[Chris Cairns]

Just to close this story as "No.8 has left the building".



After finally getting a reverser/regulator valve to work properly it was fitted with a repaired cab roof from another Mamod SL that had also been fitted with a Merlin gas burner, a new replacement SL1K cab back, the high pressure safety valve was replaced with a standard Mamod whistle, the water top-up valve was replaced with a standard Mamod safety valve, and an extended exhaust pipe with forward facing slot fitted.



I'll be very interested to see how the new owner transforms this locomotive.

Chris Cairns.