Ol' Bill

[Big Jim]

You may have seen the post in the for sale section of the forum about a Billy that needed a good home.
Well it has arrived at the Woodcock Lodge Workshops of the PMR. Kit Built, hand painted and part finished. It is quite a sorry looking engine.

DSC_0187 by bigjimiflash, on Flickr[/img]

Dan mentioned that there were a few steam leaks and it was a non runner. I steamed up and the leaks were quite spectacular. All the bolts on the cylinders were loose as were most of the fixings on the motion.

DSC_0192 by bigjimiflash, on Flickr[/img]

These were all tweaked up and with the safety valve blowing there was a little movement. Anyone who has ever played with mechanical things will know the expression "she wants to run" It was apparent that the valve timing was out and possibly the valve gear was out of position as well. There was plenty of steam and nothing seemed terribly wrong.

I let the loco cool down and opened the valve chests. The timing was so far out I am surprised she even moved at all. I had downloaded and printed out the R/H manuals in work the other night when no on was looking so it was a simple job to set the valves correctly.

So with the body removed another trip up the line was in order. This time it ran well, not perfectly as I don't think it has been run in. But better than before.

DSC_0239 by bigjimiflash, on Flickr[/img]

There is still a fair bit to do, one of the valve spindles is slightly bent (possibly caused by the cylinders not being assembled properly, as warned about in the manual). I think a new set of gaskets and O-rings will be ordered as there are still leaks, and the regulator has quite a major leak where it joins the boiler.
I am also not convinced that the holes on the con rods have not been opened up to much with a file. RC will be fitted and a repaint is in order. A boiler pressure test is also going to be needed as I don't know anything of its past use or when it was built.

As for a name I think Ol' Bill will be suitable (after the Bruce Bainsfather cartoons, not the local plod!)

[Gremlin]

quite satisfying to get something running, bet this will soon look lovely

[tom_tom_go]

The name sounds great and look forward to progress.

From your pictures your garden line has great potential!

[Keith S]

When I first saw that engine my first thought was that it needs to be turned back into a kit.

I think you're right, it might be best to disconnect all the motion and just see if it rolls freely with just the connecting rods attached.

It wasn't exactly difficult, but filing the "bushings" (if you want to call them that) in the con rods was the fiddliest job building the kit, it's easy to imagine this wasn't done correctly.

This will be fun to follow.

[Big Jim]

It does roll fine with the con rods removed. There is an lot of slop on the rods, when you look at them there are still filings around the holes and file marks as well, I think they will need replacing, or failing that opening out and proper bushes fitted.
The spindle will need sorting out, I am going to try and remove the slight bend in it.

No fastener or gland on the engine was tighter than hand tight. I think it will have to go back to bits for a rebuild. It needs to come apart to fit a chuffer and the R/C and the boiler fittings are not lined up with the chimney.

It has the rectangular valve chests so I think it is an older engine.

[Big Jim]

It needs a repaint. Anyone want to suggest a livery?
Somerset and Dorset blue seems to suggest itself, I don't know why.

[Dannypenguin]

Glad to see you got her moving! Will view this with interest! Let me know if you need any parts or stuff Livery wise - BR Corporate blue with double arro...sorry, I'm going back to my model railway mode! Like you said, S&D blue would look nice.

I'm guessing you've broken the news to the good lady now?

[Gremlin]

People ask how I get away with all my lococs, the trick is to keep all your engines green. My wife didn't even noticed me tinkering with my latest purchase of my Argyll, She brought me out tea & cake and just said "Oh is that another green one" Not realising it was a new green one.
Joking aside she doesn't mind, just said "can you put a price ticket in the bottom of the box so I know how much to sell them for if you pop off"

More green paint needed!

[Big Jim]

A new set of gaskets have been fitted to the cylinders so with a bit of luck those leaks will no be gone. The regulator will be changed for the rc one that came with it in the hope that this will stop the other major leak.

On inspection the body is pretty badly out of true so maybe another one is in order.

And the really strange one is the reversing rod was fitted with a servo cleat and is thus too large to run through the body hole!?! Job for tonight is to sort that one out.

[Peter Butler]

Sounds like we will not see O'l Bill running on the B.U.R.P.S. this Sunday? It would be good to see what you have done, as well as what you have to do still.
Let's hope the weather is reasonable.

[Big Jim]

Ol' Bill will be there, possible sans tinwork. Along with The Lord Rodney. I also have a small 'heritage' demonstration freight train to play with.

[Chris Cairns]

And the really strange one is the reversing rod was fitted with a servo cleat and is thus too large to run through the body hole!?!

I picked up an unfinished kit Billy locomotive from a fellow West of Scotland Group member last Sunday.

Whilst checking that all the bits were there I found the steel reversing rod supplied is actually a standard push rod with metal clevis (as you have on your Billy). This needs to be shaped to fit under the side tank but I've not managed to find any photo online of a Billy's right side with the body removed. You can see this reversing rod (and the bend required at the front) in the 2nd photo on this Roundhouse webpage - http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/billy.htm

Looking at your Billy you are missing the tank support ( Page 18 here -http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/pdf/hbk5.pdf ) and the push rod has just been routed through the left side tank support mounting hole. This is probably why your bodywork looks out of true at the side tanks as they are unsupported.

Chris Cairns

[Big Jim]

Ah now that answers another question I had about why the body was only supported on the rear buffer beam.

I had not got as far as reading through the body manual so thanks for the link.

I am still in two minds as to what to do with the body. I do like the look of the two brass bodies that Rob at Swiftsixteen produces but the more I look at the billy body I think a few bits of bling, such as a set of running boards and a new buffer beam will transform the locos look into a nice Barclay type engine.

Lets see some pictures of yours then Chris!

[Chris Cairns]

Lets see some pictures of yours then Chris!

In due course I intend to start a new Topic as I would like some advice on what to use to run the chassis on air. But I've got a HGLW Sleigh & Flat wagon kit to finish first (painting takes forever!) as it missed last weekend's running day and there is only one more running day before Xmas.

By the way the photo of the Billy on that Roundhouse webpage is of a radio control fitted model which uses a slightly different reversing rod (I have the Billy R/C kit). I'll need to wait until I've painted up the reversing lever arm & base, and fitted the cab floor, before I can bend that reversing push rod to the required shape.

Chris Cairns

[Big Jim]

What I have done in the past for running of a compressor is to use an old safety valve with the innards removed and a rubber hose and jubilee clip. With some locos I have been able to find air or gas/oil fittings which will fit into a spare hole on the boiler.

[MDLR]

What I have done in the past for running of a compressor is to use an old safety valve with the innards removed and a rubber hose and jubilee clip.

That's how Roundhouse do it - I took my meths-fired Dylan kit to them as I could NOT set the valves right - on;ly took them 10 minutes!

[Big Jim]

Thanks for the tip on the body support. I will try and order one from R/house.

Ol' Bill is back together again and will hopefully be running on Sunday.

It will probably be dismantled again soon and sent off for painting. I think dark blue will be the colour, but the slightly funny yellow/green/brown hue it is at the moment is growing on me.

[Chris Cairns]

Here is the tank support.



My Billy topic now being typed out.

Chris Cairns

[Big Jim]

Cheers for the picture Chris.
Ol' Bill had a good run today in the rain on Peter Butlers line. He performed faultlessly and ran for ages with a nice plume of steam showing in the cold damp air.
Next step is a strip down and repaint.

[Peter Butler]

Thanks for your company this afternoon Jim... It was wet but fun!
I feel I must point out that it was Ol' Bill who performed faultlessly, not me, and I don't do running any longer!
Looking forward to our next session in the snow.... we must be completely mad.