I had forgot that this correspondence had been required....!
First off: what exactly have I done?
I swapped the standard 'small' burner from Bix for a PPS model. I also obtained new RWM 'Janet' cylinders' after finding my DS ones had pistons that were not equal lengths and likely to have been causing the 'bite' / resistance' on the stroke.
Let us have a looksee at the goods...
Gas Burner:
Much larger tank than the Bix offering. The Bix offering from cold used to use only half a barrel of water so hopefully this will last longer. Danger - it does. And if the water is preheated, it will possibly outlast the water supply! Having timed it once though, albeit with a break to fill up more water, the gas lasted for 30-35mins! [the break of course, factored out of the timing].
So in theory much better as allows more gas for 'cooking up' from cold without the need to refill the gas. More heat delivered, in terms of over time, anyway.
The burner itself...
Is shallower than the Bix offering. However it is longer and wider than the Bix offering - the ceramic burning area is about 4-6mm squared larger than the Bix offering. This came in useful. Very useful.
On the first run of the new configuration, prior to some issues, it took about 5mins to warm up to pressure - far less than the infamous 10-15 under with the Bix gas burner. The handle seems flimsy compared to the big red gripwheel of the Bix offering, but it is actually quite controllable. It is a little difficult to find the 'absolute minimum' settig on it however.
The main 'issue' that occured afterwards of the first run was this:
The fibre washer on Swordbreaker's water glass column had fragmented and was starting to leak. I steamed the loco up thrice more with this just about hanging on. There was a steamleak and there was jets of steam coming from it, especially on the second and third runs.
However...even with this leakage, the burner at near-minimum [less than 90 degree on the handle], it only took 10-15mins to get to operating pressure. Then when at full pelt, on the blocks, it was maintaining between 40-60psi for 15-20mins at a time -
even with this and another leak in the rev block.
Can you imagine what it might be like if the loco was at optimum condition ie no leaks and all systems at 100% ? 8)
I'm going to be finding out - the photo of the water glass column above shows the
new washer installed today after another shipment of spares from Roy Woods Models.
However, it's safe to say that this gas burner doesn't need "ramping up" to get a good fire out of it - by which I mean one that can support the heating requirement to make enough steam to get the engine moving. So a major improvement - but not s surprising one however.
99% of people who get an MSS or original Mamod engine to upgrade usually got their equipment from Dream Steam. Fair enough, a good amount of such working well and fine. Good.
I'm under the impression that the Bix Gas burner for the locos was developed especially for Dream Steam? Can someone answer this, be it yay or nay? Just wondering.
So what was it I forgot about Swordbreaker?
See the above statistic about upgrading oscillators. True it's likely given the amount of folk here. Except yours truly went
completely in the opposite direction and went to PPS Steam...
So, Dec 2010 I ordered the beating heart of a 'Janet' loco for what was to become Swordbreaker.
Today I did a medium overhaul of Swordbreaker - stripdown, cleaned out the water glass, replaced the washer, claned outt he regulator and new washer in its screw, washed out the rev block, wiped the white residue off the boiler bottom, washed said boiler out with vinegar and hot water...list goes on. While the loco was apart I took the opportunity to photo the front of the PPS boiler:
A couple of us have been speculating whether the PPS boiler might be thicker than the DS one. Having felt a DS superboiler, it seemed lighter than the PPS model - sadly, I had to rely on memory and this can be flawed. I'm willing to accept the margin of error here.
But why the sluggishness? I don't have a concrete answer yet, aside from the fact that when swapped out, the PPS burner has done just as well with the hindrances, as the Bix did with optimal conditions. Which make sone hopeful that the PPS with optimal conditions will be an improvement.
Now, boilers. There's my speculation about boiler weight and possible thickness difference...and another part which makes me wonder about this is the crucial part I had forgot until James and I were chatting at our last Butterley run:
DS 'upgrade' and PPS/RWM 'Janet' boilers are rated and tested differently from each other.
DS are rated at 45psi - as sene in their page here:
http://www.dreamsteam.co.uk/mss-mamod-u ... oiler.html
Whereas PPS/RWM are sold at 60psi:
http://web.archive.org/web/200510280706 ... /janet.htm [it says 65psi, but in an email he tells me this was incorrect and should have read 60psi].
So, I wonder now whether the PPS burners were specially designed for their boilers, and in order to raise to 60psi operation? It would make sense and would make sense as to Swordbreaker's steaming improvement - PPS fire, PPS boiler...now all standardised to the same build/loco system as opposed to be bits from one, parts from another etc. Swordbreaker is pretty much a "Janet" [should that be a "Jenny?"] now aside from the steel wheels and rods, which are DS and Alan Briggs respectively.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Regulator Interlude
http://web.archive.org/web/200509300131 ... /janet.htm < this review solves a problem: Swordbreaker has to have its regulator turned quite a bit to get it controlled at first. This concerned me, seeing the Dream Steam requiring only a deft touch. I wondered whether I had a defective needle/reg - I am happy to find out now that I do not have any further 'hidden nasties' that got away by the loco "being good if not great but doing the job if you will"...!
Cylinders from RWM
Bliss!
First impressions: they are extremely chunky. Even the port plates are thicker than any other I have encountered out there - Mamod, MSS, Dream Steam...! I have had to remove Swordbreaker's cylinder covers in the meanwhile as the new cylinders are very fat indeed!
Also, the PPS / RWM cylinders do away with an endcap that is pushfit and is now an all-one casting:
This was the case with the cylinders as sold with the PPS Janets and same now with the RWM versions.
Notably, the old supercylinders fitted were pushfit caps both ends as I discovered in November 2011 some work was required - and again May 2012 as it transpired.
The RWM cylinders appear to be wider and slightly longer than their contemporaries.
Running in has been a strange if satisfying experience however. The loco has had about four hours sofar with the new cylinders and it yet it runs smoothly when it wants to. There have been little in the way of random stoppings, leakings of steam by the pistons - yet. However the runs have not been perfect, as yes, they are new units and will require running in, plus the steampipe was slightly loose in the rev block and the washer on the water glass column had all but died, causing quite a leak at times...but still the loco ran O.o.
On my first run with the new cylinders, the loco ran like a sewing machine - and I only wish that I had videoed it as proof. I was thoroughly impressed, given what I've been told about the need to run in new parts. I am doing so and will continue to do so for a programmeof about 30hrs steaming? But it is a very good start indeed.
Perhaps with the new cylinders that were checked over by Roy prior to shipping, the 'compatible' gas burner and the 'improved psi system' [;)] perhaps the Swordbreaker can be unlocked...who knows.
I'm looking forward to it. Answers to my questions [re: boiler thicknesses, the origin of the Bix burners as sold by DS - were they specially designed and built for DS? etc] more than welcome and encouraged.
He had even taken the time to check the pistons were all in good order as well. 
] actually...don't write meths off. First of all, the original IP Jane was sold as meth fired. PPS also sold the Janet originally as meth fired with the option to upgrade to gas. Thirdly, there has been a successful firing on Swordbreaker with meths, so I am told. This however was with Dan the Man, so may have required sorcery beyond us mere mortals 
But apparently can be done. 
At least James had the decency to get his coat...
......
