Garden Railway Forum

Thank you for your input chaps.

After a few attempts, much swearing and slightly burnt fingers I have achieved success!

Pickled and cleaned:


Polished up and ready!


I have steam tested the part and all is well but I will do a proper video when the whistle is installed.

That turned out perfectly! Well done.

Brilliant Tom. Job well done indeed.

A small achievement to you experienced builders but learning how to silver solder and actually achieving a result is a big deal for me!

Those of you who have fitted whistles before, is it worth a small hole being drilled in the steam pipe so condensate can drain before steam enters the whistle itself as below?


I was thinking of the hole being drilled on the end of bend just before the whistle so as steam goes down the pipe and around the bend water would be removed?

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 12:01 pm A small achievement to you experienced builders but learning how to silver solder and actually achieving a result is a big deal for me!

We all had to start somewhere. You are prepared to have a go, which is the most important step of all.....

Only way you'll find out about putting the water drain in the whistle pipe is to try it. I don't know if Regner put it in their instructions, but whistles mounted horizontally work better if they are mounted on a slope with the opening pointing down.

My limited experience is that while some condensate forms in the pipework and valve, you also get condensate forming in the whistle body and you don't get a clear note until everything heats up. Wouldn't hurt to insulate the whistle pipework as well.

Regards,
Graeme

GTB wrote: ↑Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:04 pm I don't know if Regner put it in their instructions, but whistles mounted horizontally work better if they are mounted on a slope with the opening pointing down.

Thanks for confirming this as that's what I thought as when I built my Riverdale loco the instructions for the whistle mention installing it at an angle to drain condensate (the Regner instructions are in German unfortunately).

Tom, this is a video clip of the Regner whistle that I fitted to my Ragleth a couple of years back.

https://youtu.be/wCDstuDEovY

As you can see there is no real problem with condensate in the steam pipe, the only thing that I did was to mount the whistle horizontally under the running board with the steam aperture at the bottom to allow any moisture to easily escape, I didn't even bother about it sloping. I did try running the Regner instructions through Google Translate but it produced almost total gibberish so I just went for what I thought was best and luckily it worked out OK.

Thanks Phil, I did watch that video when researching this project and the whistle sounds great.

From experience, whistles sound better and produce less condensate on Accucraft boilers as they run at a higher PSI than Roundhouse ones.

I tried the drain valve idea I had and although it did work it ruined the sound of the whistle as less steam was being drawn into it.

My original plan was to mount the whistle inside the loco like on my Riverdale Amy (runs at a higher PSI than standard Roundhouse boiler), however, on this Lady Anne the whistle produces too much condensate on inital use until the valve and pipework get hot. As I am concerned about damaging RC gear with the moisture being blown about inside the loco I have changed the plumbing so it fits under the cab footplate.

Photos and videos to follow once all fitted, been a experience so far!

This is most impressive and have been following with interest. I admire you for doing it, I have neither the skill, tools nor space to give it a crack, and I think I'd lack the confidence to even if I had all those things! Top job

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:14 pm As I am concerned about damaging RC gear with the moisture being blown about inside the loco I have changed the plumbing so it fits under the cab footplate.

I've wondered whether fitting the whistle underneath the boiler toward the front might improve things, but I've not tried it. Mounted up there it will be in the stream of hot gases coming out of the bottom of the smokebox, which will keep the whistle body hot when not being used. It's also away from any electronics and the steam plume just looks like the cylinder cocks have opened.

Graeme

GTB wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:49 am

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:14 pm As I am concerned about damaging RC gear with the moisture being blown about inside the loco I have changed the plumbing so it fits under the cab footplate.

I've wondered whether fitting the whistle underneath the boiler toward the front might improve things, but I've not tried it. Mounted up there it will be in the stream of hot gases coming out of the bottom of the smokebox, which will keep the whistle body hot when not being used. It's also away from any electronics and the steam plume just looks like the cylinder cocks have opened.

Graeme

That's well thought out Graeme. I've always been put off whistles. One of the reasons is the steam coming from the wrong place. I could live with it if it looked like draincocks being opened, although in practice, at least in my experience, the draincocks aren't opened when the loco is running. (Unless they're sticking which happens and the driver my open and close them to see if they will shut). They are usually opened at starting from cold and opened when the loco is stationery, for example in stations.

I look forward to seeing your solution Tom as I may fit a whistle to my Lady Anne.

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:55 am Tom, this is a video clip of the Regner whistle that I fitted to my Ragleth a couple of years back.

https://youtu.be/wCDstuDEovY

As you can see there is no real problem with condensate in the steam pipe, the only thing that I did was to mount the whistle horizontally under the running board with the steam aperture at the bottom to allow any moisture to easily escape, I didn't even bother about it sloping. I did try running the Regner instructions through Google Translate but it produced almost total gibberish so I just went for what I thought was best and luckily it worked out OK.

Love it Phil...That Lady was surprised when it blew....

Might try one to scare the flaming pigeons off the Willow Tree....

Thanks Rod, it does sound quite loud when used indoors but far more realistic when in use outside. The Regner whistle I find sounds pretty good and lifelike not like some whistles that I have heard that sound more like a strangled canary

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Thu Jan 10, 2019 8:32 am Thanks Rod, it does sound quite loud when used indoors but far more realistic when in use outside.... not like some whistles that I have heard that sound more like a strangled canary

GTB wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:49 am I've wondered whether fitting the whistle underneath the boiler toward the front might improve things, but I've not tried it. Mounted up there it will be in the stream of hot gases coming out of the bottom of the smokebox, which will keep the whistle body hot when not being used. It's also away from any electronics and the steam plume just looks like the cylinder cocks have opened.

Graeme

Looking at this Lady Anne I think you could fit the whistle as Graeme suggests but it would need to be positioned so it avoids the crap that get's squirted out the chuffer and not too close to the front axle and wheels otherwise it would rub against them.

As this Lady Anne has a Slomo fitted running the whistle steam pipe up to the front of the loco would be interesting...

Here is the final install for now:



My workshop isn't always this messy, honest!

Next job is to fit a new onboard battery and switch harness and then once the owner repaints the boiler cover she can be put back together and go home

Nice work, Tom. Your friend will be very pleased with his improved Lady Anne.

Just as a point of interest, did wrapping the steam pipe in string (?) make any noticeable difference to any condensate issues?

That sounds far better than most Tom. Brilliant job.

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:14 am Just as a point of interest, did wrapping the steam pipe in string (?) make any noticeable difference to any condensate issues?

I believe it does as I have lagged the pipes on my coal fired loco and it helped with condensate. You need to use thick string though so although it doesn't look scale it is functional...