RWLR - Robin Wood Light Railway

[GTB]

Glad to see Russell's arrived safely and looking very at home!

The lining and the shade of red used give it a nice antique Edwardian appearance.

You might have trouble getting her back from Tom..........

Regards,
Graeme

[IanC]

The Russell is a handsome locomotive.

Ian

[GTB]

Roly has become the workshop cat, or my supervisor as cats tend to own their humans:

The old joke that 'Dogs have masters, cats have staff' has some truth in it. My two operate a time-sharing system.........

I don't let them in the workshop due to the injury risk, but I've been working inside the house on rolling stock lately and one or both will be curled up in the bean bag near my desk as I work, a bean bag which just happens to be under the heating vent.

I know wood moves around outdoors and my area has the additional problem of termites, but here in Oz with the high UV flux, polystyrene sheet isn't durable either, if it is left outside.

Regards,
Graeme

[tom_tom_go]

My workshop doesn't have the kind of machinery you use Graeme so I am happy to let them in although if I had your setup I would not.

So, a little tinker about with the loco before dinner and started on the safety valve. Andrew got a new spring and seal from Roundhouse before he sent me the loco as the valve was not performing. The seal clearly needed replacing to me as the old one was flat on one side so new spring and seal is now fitted but despite adjustment it will not blow off. I tried one of my Roundhouse safety valves and that did not blow off either so I wonder if the pressure gauge is faulty? I will try one of my pressure gauges next to see what's going on.

I like the Russell bodywork, feels more solid than my Lady Anne/Silver Lady type. Replacing the RC looks easy now I have the body off but Andrew if you don't mind I am going to give her a good clean as I have found two dead spiders already!

The chuffer is also bent as well so will straighten that up as it's not meant to touch the sides of the chimney (I think it's to do with either the noise or impacts lightening the loco up).

[tom_tom_go]

Posting as I go so just did it all on air and now safety valve is sorted, blows off on 40 PSI even on gas after calibrating with air.

There's a reason I don't do this for a living Andrew

[Big Jim]

I have to agree about the R/H Russell, I am very happy with mine and it does have a lovely solid feel to it.
Was the pressure gauge U/S?

[FWLR]

Shame about the crossing Tom. but the Plasticard looks brilliant, great job on the graining. I will use wood also, plus Plasticard and that other stuff i have completely forgotten it’s name.

And if the legend Peter Butler says it looks good, then it must be…..

[Andrew]

Two dead spiders?! Wonder how long they'd been there?! Russell lives in a plastic toolbox most of the time, so they must have been very determined little arachnids!...

I added locoworks inner tanks, which I think help a little with the impression of solidity... The chuffer is one of my few attempts at anything engineering-y, so I'm not surprised if it was a bit iffy - still sounds good though...

Glad the safety valve's working now, although I'm feeling somewhat guilty - while you toil on my loco I'm sipping wine and looking out to sea!

Cheers!

[tom_tom_go]

I can see why now the chuffer was not easy to fit straight as it's a push fit type and you have two exhaust pipes to align up. OCD kicked in and I spent a hour fiddling about and swearing but I got it straight!

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Does it sound different, we shall see...

I also got time to sneak in a quick play with the new RC and all works well (look at the size of the 40MHz Rx!)

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Is 40MHz worth anything these days?

[Andrew]

Looks like you got the chuffer slighter lower in the chimney than I managed too - it was almost flush with the top before, well done!

I'm very impressed with your progress - I hope I'm not in your wife's bad books for taking up so much of your time!

Cheers,

Andrew

[FWLR]

Forgive my ignorance, but don’t all steam locos have them chauffeurs. I have the same in my “Billy” and I thought it is a standard issue. Mine is loose also…do they just push fit, or would she need dismantling…..

[IanC]

I had no end of trouble fitting my chuffer and it's still not straight. Directs too much steam down into the smokebox for my liking, but that may be in part due to it not being central in the chimney.

Ian

[GTB]

I am going to give her a good clean as I have found two dead spiders already!

Dead ones aren't a problem, it's the live ones you need to worry about around here.......

Your loco maintenance skills are improving from the sound of things. Nothing like a bit of practice to increase the skills base.

Regards,
Graeme

[tom_tom_go]

Your loco maintenance skills are improving from the sound of things. Nothing like a bit of practice to increase the skills base.

Regards,
Graeme

I will take that compliment from such an accomplished engineer, thanks!

[tom_tom_go]

This has all gone rather well so far Andrew (should I have said that?)

Out with the old:

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And in with the new:

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Range check went well, I could still control the loco from my front room while the loco itself was in the garden.

I gave her a short run but without a Slomo on my little line it's not worth a video. I have forgotten how sprightly these locos are without any inertia so you will definitely see a big change in realistic running Andrew when we get your one fitted to Russell.

[Andrew]

This has all gone rather well so far Andrew (should I have said that?)

Yep, definitely!

I'm very glad it's all going well - I was a little concerned that some of the RC problems might have been exacerbated by previous tinkering I'd undertaken...

It's a shame Russell isn't much use to you until the Slomo's fitted - I was hoping you'd get some use from her while it was being built and delivered. She works fairly well for me, but I think my gradients may help - something to work against going uphill, and downhill I can almost shut off steam and let her roll... It's the run-round at each end where I think the Slomo will really come into its own... Anyway, great work so far, thank you!

Andrew

[tom_tom_go]

I did adjust the regulator as when shut off the loco tried to move slightly when in forward or reverse. Now, she does as she is told.

I will see if my old inertia wagon will help with running on my little line although you don't have chopper couplings and I have found these types of devices work best with a fixed coupling and not on a chain as this allows the wagon and loco to bash into each other.

[tom_tom_go]

Forgive my ignorance, but don’t all steam locos have them chauffeurs. I have the same in my “Billy” and I thought it is a standard issue. Mine is loose also…do they just push fit, or would she need dismantling…..

Summerlands chuffer are not fitted as standard to Roundhouse engines although Roundhouse have recently started fitting new locos with 'exhaust enhancers'.

Billy is a push fit type chuffer so this is normal.

[tom_tom_go]

I might have another look at the chuffer as it's not meant to be loose according to Mr Bird:

[tom_tom_go]

How loose should the exhaust pipes be as they move about freely including being able to be moved in and out of the cylinders?

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