Cracker Builders Group

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Busted Bricks
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Cracker Builders Group

Post by Busted Bricks » Sat Sep 05, 2015 5:31 pm

Dear All,

I am posting this on various groups and forums. My initial aim is to gather feedback and gauge if there is any interest.

Several years ago I started Busted Bricks. Among my products were some simple laser cut garden railway kits. Due to relocation to the Faroe Islands I sold off that part of the business and it is now in the safe hands of David at HGLW.

What you may not know is that the wheels, bushes and brass gears used in the kits were actually bought with the manufacture of Cracker locomotives in mind. Ernst Glaser who designed the Cracker had kindly allowed me to manufacture them. I sourced gas jets and filler valves and started on CAD drawings for frame parts so they could be laser cut. The intention was to save up money to fund the laser cutting.

Due to the above mentioned relocation and lack of money the project ground to a halt. However HGLW can still supply wheels etc. and since I now have a well paying job I am considering reviving the project. Not as a business for the time being, just as a hobby venture. I will pick up where I left off on the CAD drawings and then proceed to build a mock-up of the chassis. I have a laser that can cut wood, so I would make the mock-up from 1.5mm plywood. When I'm sure everything fits I would get quotes for having the chassis parts laser cut from mild steel.

If anyone else is interested I could set up a Cracker Builders group on Facebook. For those not on Facebook I suppose an email list could be used or perhaps a related online forum would be willing to create a Cracker Builders section.

Now, if some standards could be agreed upon (thread etc.),it would be possible for others to contribute parts. Perhaps someone could make flanged boiler ends, another could make safety valves or a suitable commercial one could be located. I would set up a list of parts/suppliers. I may be able to have more parts made to order depending on interest.

Let me know what you think.

Best regards,

Michael

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Post by Big Jim » Sat Sep 05, 2015 7:42 pm

I would be interested in this project. Tony Bird has built a couple of them and suggests a Mamod/MSS cylinder may be used.
Certainly as a beginners project with a minimum of (or no) machining it could be a winner.

Could the boiler be soft soldered or would it need to be silver soldered due to the gas temperature.

Tony's build is written up here
http://16mm.org.uk/newsite/motm/mom2008-10.html
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Post by Busted Bricks » Sat Sep 05, 2015 8:31 pm

I think it would be best to hard solder the boiler.

I have no plans to produce a complete kit. However I'm hoping that some with the right skill and tools might be able to help those that don't have the facilities to machine parts. If commercially available parts could be used that would be great. Think of it as a community project.

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Post by Busted Bricks » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:33 pm

To kick things off I have started a Facebook group. It is an open group and everyone is free to join.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/616952441741646/

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Post by listerboy » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:59 am

Joined the group!

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Annie
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Post by Annie » Sun Dec 13, 2015 10:45 pm

listerboy:113363 wrote:Joined the group!
Me too! :D
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Post by Annie » Sun Dec 13, 2015 11:04 pm

The Cracker design has always interested me because of this wee loco that was used on a tramway here in New Zealand.

Image
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Post by Tony Bird » Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:34 am

Hi Annie.

The Cracker design has always interested me because of this wee loco that was used on a tramway here in New Zealand.

Interesting engine it looks as if it has non flanged wheels and is running on 'L' shaped track. Do you know any more about this locomotive like what does the other side look like?

Regards Tony.

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Post by Tony Bird » Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:44 am

Hi,

I meant to add that it does look like a full size Cracker.

Regards Tony.
Last edited by Tony Bird on Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Annie
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Post by Annie » Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:45 am

Unfortunately Tony this is the only photograph that is known to exist.  And just to disappoint you further nothing more than who built it and the fact it was shipped to New Zealand is known about it.
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Post by Keith S » Mon Dec 14, 2015 8:31 pm

It's a full-sized "Birmingham Dribbler"!

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Post by Annie » Tue Dec 15, 2015 2:50 am

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Of course the big advantage of that old photo is that nobody knows wot's on the other side so nobody can claim to be a know-it-all and say that you've got it wrong.
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Post by bessytractor » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:12 am

Tony Bird:114793 wrote:Hi Annie.

The Cracker design has always interested me because of this wee loco that was used on a tramway here in New Zealand.

Interesting engine it looks as if it has non flanged wheels and is running on 'L' shaped track.  Do you know any more about this locomotive like what does the other side look like?

Regards Tony.
It looks remarkably like the dummy plateway locomotive Peter Jones built for Compton Down. That ran on L shaped rails and had a very similar arrangement.
proudly flying in the face of convention

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Post by Killian Keane » Wed Feb 22, 2017 2:02 pm

If one put two horizontal, front facing cylinders on a cracker, one would come up with something like John Smith's 'Lion' http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/ ... Smith5.htm
Another design suggested by Peter Jones, however, I think it would do well as a narrow gauge loco with outside frames, food for thought perhaps?  ;)
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Post by dizzysteamer » Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:17 am

Hi Busted Bricks

Yes very interested I,m well on the way with my Brazil, but have been looking for the next build.
However I hate Facebook, if there was another way I would be delighted.
I am a member of Steammodelloco though which may help me to stay in touch.

dizzysteamer :)
Amateur engineer,  frustrated would be locomotive driver😊

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Post by Busted Bricks » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:05 pm

I wonder if it might be an idea to ask if we can have a Cracker Builders section on this forum? I know there are some people who are not keen to join Facebook. I'm not sure the interest is all that great though. There is hardly any activity on the group. I have only sold 2 chassis kits out of the 25 I had made.

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Post by Killian Keane » Sun Mar 26, 2017 1:09 pm

Or maybe a section for small geared engines in general?
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Re: Cracker Builders Group

Post by Jonnyb » Thu May 04, 2017 1:25 pm

Ive joined the facebook group. Not had a proper look yet, but if I can buy most of the parts I would definetly build it!

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Re: Cracker Builders Group

Post by Busted Bricks » Thu May 04, 2017 3:45 pm

You can only buy chassis parts, wheels, gears and bushes and even then there is some thread cutting to be done. Everything else you will have to make from scratch for now.

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Re: Cracker Builders Group

Post by Busted Bricks » Wed Aug 02, 2017 11:48 pm

I'm toying with the idea of a 7/8ths Cracker. This was just a quick mock-up from various sketches so the cab is too wide. "Boiler" is 42mm. I quite like how it looks.
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