Finally joined the Mamod club.....

A very popular starting point for Live Steam. With their low cost comes a number of problems which can be discussed here
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jez kirkwood
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Finally joined the Mamod club.....

Post by jez kirkwood » Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:30 pm

I remember when Mamod first brought out their railway stuff, I was about eight at the time and despite countless requests to santa never got one :( anyway this morning I have become the proud owner of an SL3 its missing a burner and the coupling rods but has very little sign of use and for the last few years has been used as an ornament in someones living room. It will form the basis of two fairly serious conversions......but more of this later.
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Post by Narrow Minded » Fri Dec 02, 2011 2:45 pm

Welcome to "The Club" :D  
~ Oh the hours of fettling fun & frustration that lie before you ;)  (Wouldn't be without it though :lol: )
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maxnod
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Post by maxnod » Fri Dec 02, 2011 3:37 pm

"It's on fire!" :blob6:


Here we go again !! :hello1:


Have fun Jez . It looks clean and it is the right colour! :thumbleft:
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Post by spooner » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:37 pm

Your joined the club.Theo at times you'll wonder why but it will come good in the end.
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Post by jez kirkwood » Fri Dec 02, 2011 11:38 pm

Well I've started stripping the loco, being a factory build this involved drilling out a few rivits - need to order a few bits from dream steam. The plan is to build something similar to Chris Bird's Mamod http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Hz25lP ... r_embedded Chris was kind enough to send me detail pics and construction details. My line is 1:12 on 32mm Heywood style so this should look the part.
The old safety valve was dismantled the center of the body drilled out to 4mm and a modified wilesco steam roller whistle soldered in it, this will screw into the top of the mss regulator.
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The dome will be drilled and tapped to mount the new 25psi safety valve on top - this will be covered by a new large brass dome with a hole in the top, there will be a water top up valve fitted in the front (ex safety valve) hole. tonight I removed the chimney from the smokebox drilled out the hole to 15mm and started fabricating a new chimney from copper pipe and brass.  
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The unused body parts will then be paired up with an IP engineering battery elec chassis and a plastic pipe 'boiler' for my seven year old train mad daughter to use.
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Post by DolwyddelanLightRail » Sat Dec 03, 2011 12:22 am

I'll be watching this closely! :D
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Post by tegfan railway » Sat Dec 03, 2011 11:37 pm

me too!
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Post by jez kirkwood » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:50 pm

Did a bit of work on the smokebox/bufferbeam casting today, chopping out the sides at the bottom of the smokebox to give more of a Heywood look. Still lots of work to do to clean it up......
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Post by dougrail » Sun Dec 04, 2011 7:01 pm

Good God mate...no wonder Phantom wasn't 'just right' for you! :shock:

Still, I'm pleased that you've joined the club and 'adopted' an unfortunate member as opposed to a brand-new squeaky clean 'clone' ;) The work you're doing looks sterling mate!
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Post by jez kirkwood » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:16 pm

Bit more work on the front end....
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Post by DolwyddelanLightRail » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:33 pm

Wow! :shock:
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Post by laalratty » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:31 pm

That looks great, just love the Heywood brake van though!
"What the hell is that?"
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Post by jez kirkwood » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:46 pm

Just ordered meths burner, water top up, uprated safety and regulator :D
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Post by Pendo Pilot » Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:53 am

jez kirkwood:62625 wrote:Just ordered meths burner, water top up, uprated safety and regulator  :D
Isn't this always how mamod fever starts? Next will be boiler upgrade & next thing you will be in the help me section asking why your uprated pistons have blown apart. :twisted:

Bloody addictive though & that one is looking superb. Theres just something about mamods, love them or loathe them. I have 3 RH & 2 accy steamers & yet every now & then I gas up (yes more mamod fever mods) the thing & just see if the wind / thermal conditions / lunar alignment are good for the best mamod run ever! Usually followed by a few hours in my shed staring at it, willing it to actually work! :twisted:
One day mine will steam freely, it has proved it will do good with enough psi!
Tommy Dodd may have an ARS key but I have a TASS button & a Rope Ladder, just like pirates, except the TASS button bit.
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Post by DolwyddelanLightRail » Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:30 am

Pendo Pilot:62638 wrote:lunar alignment are good for the best mamod run ever!
Well, jupiter's very clear in the sky (it's literally the brightest star in the night sky) so maybe the gravity from that will somehow make it work :lol:
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Post by laurence703 » Thu Dec 08, 2011 1:20 pm

I'll be watching this one aswell! Loving the very Heywood conversion! Am I right in saying you're making a Heywood Katie?
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
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Post by jez kirkwood » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:34 pm

laurence703:62660 wrote:Am I right in saying you're making a Heywood Katie?
You are nearly right! In 1894, two years before Heywood built Katie for Eaton Hall, he was approached by the agent of the Squire of Waterfield Hall and asked to supply a locomotive and various items of rolling stock for the line they were building around the estate. Now the Squire of Waterfield was a resourcefull chap and was keen to build the line himself so Heywood was only asked to build certain Items. The remaining rolling stock was sourced from a variety of manufacturers and some goods stock (and eventually a petrol loco) was built by the estate sawmill/blacksmith under the watchfull eye of George Hale the railway manager.
The loco I'm modelling is 'Maud' as supplied by Heywood, she was very similar to Katie but with a slightly smaller boiler and was named after Mrs Foster the Squire's  favourite Aunt.
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Post by laurence703 » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:37 pm

Ah! This is a loco I am not familiar with! I take it 'Maud' was 15" and probably long forgotten and scraped? :/
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
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jez kirkwood
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Post by jez kirkwood » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:49 pm

Yes 15" and scrapped in 1947, strange that it never got a mention in Smither's book........... ;)
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Post by laurence703 » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:58 pm

Well learn something new everyday! I'll ask around and see if anyone can dig up some more information for you :)
No one expects the SPANISH ACQUISITION!!!
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