Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

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tom_tom_go
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Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Fri Feb 15, 2019 5:29 pm

I have one in my workshop as the owner wants a 3/4" pressure fitted but at eye level rather than the stock location which is hidden inside the left cab panel, however, I have discovered that no steam is coming out of the steam feed for the gauge from the boiler (the loco is brought up to pressure, safety valve blowing but no steam out of the pipe for the pressure gauge). I have tested this without the gauge fitted and still no steam.

The pressure gauge works fine on air.

Also, and this may be me being an idiot me but I can't get her to run. Motion moves freely, open regulator but pushing her forward or backwards doesn't start the loco off (no reverser, slip eccentric valve gear).

Maybe a descale of the boiler is required?

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by Keith S » Fri Feb 15, 2019 7:21 pm

tom_tom_go wrote: Fri Feb 15, 2019 5:29 pm
Maybe a descale of the boiler is required?
If th boiler is making steam, but you can't get steam to come out anywhere, then yes I would say that there's a blockage issue. A good clean of the boiler would be an excellent start. But what does the owner of this loco say? When's the last time he ran it?

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:08 pm

He reckons it was working but I haven't done anything to the pipework so all very odd.

Even on air, nothing is coming out of the pipe for the pressure gauge.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by philipy » Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:58 pm

tom_tom_go wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:08 pm He reckons it was working but I haven't done anything to the pipework so all very odd.

Even on air, nothing is coming out of the pipe for the pressure gauge.
Is it possible to blow air back through the gauge pipe into the boiler? If not presumably there is a blockge in that pipe somewhere/somehow?
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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:29 pm

I tried that Phil and no it isn't possible, whether I fill the boiler with air or try and blow air through the take off pipe nothing happens.

The pipe isn't kinked so it's not that.

The fact the loco doesn't run either means there is something up with it.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by Keith S » Sat Feb 16, 2019 4:10 pm

Those are very small locomotives, aren't they? I think you're right, there must be a limescale issue. It wouldn't take more than a flake of scale to block things up. If it's possible to get a peice of fine wire down one of the pipes it might help to work out what's going on. I would be inclined to try de-scaling the locomotive, but it certainly would be nice to hear some good advice on the best way to do that- I've never done it and I'd be worried that a bad job could release many more flakes of scale into the works. Hopefully someone with more steam experience can lead you through THAT process,- unless you've done it before of course- but it's hard to think of anything else that could be causing this issue with such a simple loco.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:38 pm

Take the lubricator cap off, fill boiler with air, open regulator, what happens?
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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:22 pm

TonyW wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 9:38 pm Take the lubricator cap off, fill boiler with air, open regulator, what happens?
The lubricator buddles away but the loco doesn't move.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:08 am

tom_tom_go wrote: Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:22 pmThe lubricator buddles away but the loco doesn't move.
OK, that proves that the regulator is doing its job and the problem is further down the line. Next job then is to replace the lubricator cap, loosen the valve chest banjo bolts at the front end and the repeat the test. No air means you've got a blocked pipe. Air means the problem is with the valves or pistons.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:35 am

I removed the following bolts and when the boiler is filled with air and the regulator is opened air comes out of the openings:

IMG_20190217_103303-01.jpeg
IMG_20190217_103303-01.jpeg (316.76 KiB) Viewed 5633 times

Thanks for your help so far Tony.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:22 am

Not a blocked pipe then!

Tighten them back up and apply more air. Do the wheels lock up or can they be turned by hand? Is there any air blowing up the chimney?

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:27 am

The motion is free, the wheels rotate forwards and backwards easily by hand.

Water spits out the chimney when the boiler is filled with air and the regulator is open so I am assuming that it's not blocked.

I can video it steamed up if that helps?

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:37 am

Please confirm I have this correct:

With air pressure in boiler, regulator open, all caps and banjos tight you can turn the wheels by hand but there is no resistance from the pistons and air is being exhausted up the chimney. Is that correct?

Also, when did this loco last run successfully?

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Feb 17, 2019 1:23 pm



Apparently it was all working fine but in this video there is no pressure gauge fitted and there is no steam coming out of the take off pipe so very confused how either the pressure gauge or the loco itself was in working order.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sun Feb 17, 2019 3:28 pm

Yeah ... good luck with that then!

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Feb 17, 2019 3:39 pm

He says he had to 'clean out' the right cylinder recently to get it going again but as there is no blockage and motion runs free I don't see what that would of done.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Feb 17, 2019 4:51 pm

If I pump air into one cylinder only (I have tested each cylinder this way one at a time) then the wheels move.

I wonder if the boiler isn't making enough pressure and the safety valve is faulty or not set correctly?

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sun Feb 17, 2019 5:02 pm

Could be ... my next move would be to take the boiler off the frames and run the chassis on air "direct".

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Feb 17, 2019 6:02 pm

Removed the boiler and the chassis run fines on air.

Pumping air into the boiler itself and then opening the regulator air comes out of the outlet indicated with green arrow:

IMG_20190217_175941-01.jpeg
IMG_20190217_175941-01.jpeg (378.14 KiB) Viewed 4572 times

However, as the pressure gauge outlet marked with an orange arrow does not exhaust air despite being able to poke a pin all the way down the pipe I don't know how much pressure is in the boiler

I am not using a compressor to test just a pump with no gauge.

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Re: Finescale Engineering Quarry Hunslet issues

Post by TonyW » Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:56 pm

If the pressure gauge pipe is firmly blocked you could try this, but you might need an extra pair of hands:

Basically, you need to get some air pressure in the boiler, as high as you feel safe doing. Then gently heat the visible section of the pressure gauge pipe. It needs to be hot but not quite red hot and nowhere near hot enough to melt any metal! Hopefully the heat will dislodge the blockage and the air pressure will push the muck out, usually with a nice "pop".

That might work, it might not. I had one recently that did not clear with this method. I annealed the pipe over and over again, got it dead straight and then ran a long drill in to the end. That shifted whatever it was!

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