bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

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bambuko
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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Wed Dec 19, 2018 8:16 pm

Smokebox assembly temporarily test fitted to the frame:

Image

and from below, showing bottom closing plate fitted as well:

Image

and with all the frame stretchers in place:

Image

In this view, you can see the two temporary bolts/nuts securing smokebox to the frames (eventually they will be replaced by bolts securing cylinders).
Above them two (larger) holes for steam and exhaust piping:

Image

Also the brass angle for securing/supporting cab floor.
The two CSK slot screws between front and middle axle will be (eventually) hidden behind motion bracket.

Another view from below:

Image

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Wed Dec 19, 2018 8:33 pm

Hydrostatic Dazza wrote: Wed Dec 19, 2018 8:15 pm ... I reckon I will use silver brazing (56% Harris, I use it daily in my work) for my fabrications.
Not an attempt to teach grandmother to suck eggs :mrgreen:

The two reasons I am persisting with Sifbronze are:
cost - silver solder is so ***** expensive (so where I can get away without using silver solder I will not use it)
and because I can braze in two or three stages without the whole thing falling apart (I haven't used any screws to hold bits together before brazing).

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by FWLR » Thu Dec 20, 2018 7:16 am

Nice bit of brazing there and some very nice machine work also.
Shame you had to throw the first attempt away. Did you salvage any of it. You put a lot of very good time and effort into it.....

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:07 am

FWLR wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 7:16 am Nice bit of brazing there...
I would call it tolerable rather than nice :D
need to practice more :thumbup:
...Shame you had to throw the first attempt away. Did you salvage any of it. You put a lot of very good time and effort into it....
No didn't salvage anything.
Job worth doing is worth doing well, so no regrets :)

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by dewintondave » Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:03 am

It's lovely to see so much steel being used :thumbright:
Best wishes,
Dave

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by FWLR » Fri Dec 21, 2018 7:13 am

bambuko wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:07 am
FWLR wrote: Thu Dec 20, 2018 7:16 am Nice bit of brazing there...
I would call it tolerable rather than nice :D
need to practice more :thumbup:


Still it's better than mine... :lol: :lol:

...Shame you had to throw the first attempt away. Did you salvage any of it. You put a lot of very good time and effort into it....
No didn't salvage anything.
Job worth doing is worth doing well, so no regrets :)
Pity that, it's possible to remove brazing isn't. You could have used it for something. But you are correct though, you do a brilliant job at what ever you do. :thumbright:

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:58 am

dewintondave wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 6:03 am It's lovely to see so much steel being used :thumbright:
Indeed, that's one of my objectives in this project.

btw - how did you secure the rivets in the smokebox in your Wild Rose?
Brian Wilson's book is talking about using superglue for dummy/non-functional rivets but I am not convinced that it is good idea for coal fired smokebox?

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by GTB » Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:32 pm

bambuko wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:58 am Brian Wilson's book is talking about using superglue for dummy/non-functional rivets but I am not convinced that it is good idea for coal fired smokebox?
The simplest option is not to fit rivets, as a lot of late build Fowlers had flush riveted smokeboxes. My late '20s Fowler 0-4-2T was one of them, which saved me a lot of fiddly work. Possibly the smokeboxes were welded, but I'm not sure Fowler were that adventurous back then.

Anyway......

I wouldn't use superglue myself, but Brian points out the smokebox paint will hold them in the longer term, so a blob of smokebox paint applied to the rivet from inside the smokebox would probably work.

When I built my Baldwin it needed a row of rivets at each end of the smokebox. I pressed the ones at the front into the wrapper before I rolled it, as my rolls have a groove which would clear the rivets. The larger rear ones were added after rolling using individual brass rivets and I couldn't get a straight whack at the rivet to close it in the normal way.

The rivets weren't structural so I made up a simple L-shaped dolly that could be given a whack from outside the smokebox and have sufficient leverage to burr the rivet over enough to keep it in place. Don't have a photo of the work in progress, but hope that gives you the idea.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by dewintondave » Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:03 am

bambuko wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:58 am
btw - how did you secure the rivets in the smokebox in your Wild Rose?
I used slotted 8BA brass round head screws.
Best wishes,
Dave

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:09 am

Thank you for your suggestions.
I will have to make few tests and ponder my options...
btw there are also brass threaded roundhead screws with no slots

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:55 am

GTB wrote: Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:32 pm ...The simplest option is not to fit rivets, as a lot of late build Fowlers had flush riveted smokeboxes. My late '20s Fowler 0-4-2T was one of them, which saved me a lot of fiddly work. Possibly the smokeboxes were welded, but I'm not sure Fowler were that adventurous back then...
Spot on Graeme :thumbright:
Thank you for this suggestion.
Did a bit more homework and indeed the prototype for my model doesn't have any rivets, instead front face of smokebox appears to be bolted to the round body.
Here a photo of sad remains in a museum in Australia link:

Image

Couple of things that might interest some of you :)

It appears to be one the last few steam locomotives to be built by Fowler in UK (in 1935).
It was this design that formed the basis of Bundaberg locos build In Australia around 15 years later.

It was (unusually) equipped with draw gear permitting operation on both 2ft and 3ft 6inch gauge.
This was acomplished by laying a third rail adjacent to the 2ft track to 3ft 6inch gauge.
Centre buffer and draw gear is symmetrical with 2ft gauge track, but the three link coupling and hook and steel face buffing blocks are assymetrical,
to accomodate 3ft 6inch rolling stock.
Last edited by bambuko on Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:54 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by tom_tom_go » Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:33 am

Poor thing, those tanks don't look like they will hold water anymore!

I like the look of it though, would be good to get hold of a plastic looking model and weather appropriately to have the loco stored in a yard.

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:07 pm

:mrgreen: I can see the attraction ttg

For balance - there is works photo of the same loco (Airdmillan) here

Michael R. Lane Collection (from negatives in the Museum of English Rural Life)

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Thu Jan 17, 2019 12:09 pm

Bit more progress to report :thumbup:
Started on the cab floor:

Image
Brass angle is soldered and riveted to the floor and the whole thing is then "bolted" to loco frame:

Image

and, viewed from below:

Image

I tried riveting alone but wasn't happy with result, so ended up using rivets to locate the brass angle and soldered the whole thing together.
Started by using silver solder, but the heat needed was distoring the floor and any excess solder (difficult to avoid... at least with my skills) was diificult to clean up neatly.
Ended up using high temp soft solder (known as Comsol or 5/S alloy according to BS) - lovely to work with and easy to clean.
It needed pre-tinning particularly on steel but that was easy with Baker's fluid as flux and home made silicone brush.

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by tom_tom_go » Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:56 pm

Lovely work, I find soft soldering so much easier!

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:28 pm

Yes indeed ttg as long as you avoid modern lead free sh*te :twisted:

Another thing that makes such a difference to final result is the silicone brush for working the solder.
Would be lovely to get a source for some decent ones off the shelf.
My DIY contraption is rather crude and the only ones I've seen in the shops are meant for kitchen or BBQ and are rather too big for our needs...

Next job (I have decided :D ) is putting my loco on wheels.
Need to get some track as well to get the feel for it - what size do you guys use in 16mm circles? 250 or 180 (like G1 tracks)
Would like some flat bottom rail, rather than bullhead, but I guess that will be difficult?

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by IrishPeter » Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:39 pm

Code 250 is common in 16mm scale. Both my 32mm and 45mm lines use it. I get code 250 f/b rail from Sunset Valley in Oregon, but you may have a more local supplier. Code 180 can be a bit light, as our wheel standards are either Gauge 0, or Gauge 1 coarse scale depending on gauge. With code 180 you might have a problem with flanges hitting spike heads or chairs if the coarse scale is really coarse. From what I have seen anything over code 200 is acceptable.

Cheers,
Peter in Va
Traffic Pattern? What pattern? Spuds out; grain in, but cattle, sheep and passengers are a lot less predictable.

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:27 pm

Thanks IrishPeter,
Code 180 or 200 would probably be more close to fine scale prototype, but 250 is likely to be more practical and robust indeed.
The only source I know (here in UK) is PECO
Going to have to visit local hobby shop and see what they've got.

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by tom_tom_go » Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:47 pm

Peco SM32 is code 200 bullhead rail.

Peco G45 is code 250 flat bottom rail type.

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Re: bambuko loco works 0-6-2 (Fowler)

Post by bambuko » Thu Jan 17, 2019 6:45 pm

As far as I know majority prototype narrow gauge rails are flat bottom?
So I'd rather have slightly large code 250 rail with flat bottom than correct size but wrong shape code 200 bullhead.
The argument often voiced in favour of bullhead is that it is easier to bend (flat bottom requiring rail bender),
but afaic this is "lazy" logic - rail bender is such an "easy to make" contraption that there is no reason to be afraid of flat bottom rail,
unless one wants some crazy tight bends... :D

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