Mamod upgrade

A very popular starting point for Live Steam. With their low cost comes a number of problems which can be discussed here
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Steamcoaster
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Mamod upgrade

Post by Steamcoaster » Fri May 19, 2017 1:25 am

I have a couple of Mamods. One has had new wheels from PPS. One of them I got second hand as present in about 1982 so it must be an early one. The other was gift in about 1986.
One is now Meths fired. The other gas. Living in Australia the Meths here seems to be better quality and burns with plenty of heat. That said I was thinking of putting new boilers on them.

Does anyone make boilers for them?

Cheers

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dougrail
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by dougrail » Fri May 19, 2017 1:59 am

New boilers for SL-standard Mamods? Yes -try Roy Wood Models. He does his copper Janet boilers as spares too. I have had pleasure of a couple from him in my time and they work very nicely.

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Boustrophedon
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by Boustrophedon » Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:53 pm

dougrail wrote: Fri May 19, 2017 1:59 am New boilers for SL-standard Mamods? Yes -try Roy Wood Models. He does his copper Janet boilers as spares too. I have had pleasure of a couple from him in my time and they work very nicely.
Just bought one, not fitted yet, it's a beautiful piece of work. I believe he's the last supplier of copper boilers for the original Mamod trains.

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Killian Keane
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by Killian Keane » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:47 pm

Those Janet boilers have no dome though, do they have the plastic sight glass and standard position of bolts on the backhead for the fixing thereof?
Blokes with tea can build anything

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dougrail
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by dougrail » Thu Aug 03, 2017 11:57 am

Killian Keane wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:47 pm Those Janet boilers have no dome though, do they have the plastic sight glass and standard position of bolts on the backhead for the fixing thereof?
Nope and nope.

No dome - not needed, but Swift 16 do an aftermarket dome that sits on top of the water filler valve.

The RWM copper boilers don't have plastic sight glasses, brass backs or bolt holes - they have proper glass sightglasses at the side of the rear of the boilers, held in place by copper turrets.

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Killian Keane
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by Killian Keane » Thu Aug 03, 2017 3:34 pm

dougrail wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2017 11:57 am
Killian Keane wrote: Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:47 pm Those Janet boilers have no dome though, do they have the plastic sight glass and standard position of bolts on the backhead for the fixing thereof?
Nope and nope.

No dome - not needed, but Swift 16 do an aftermarket dome that sits on top of the water filler valve.

The RWM copper boilers don't have plastic sight glasses, brass backs or bolt holes - they have proper glass sightglasses at the side of the rear of the boilers, held in place by copper turrets.
Supetior technology indeed, in your experience has the lack of a dome caused priming on these? I hate to be distrustful of domeless engines :lol:
Blokes with tea can build anything

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dougrail
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by dougrail » Fri Aug 04, 2017 2:04 am

They won't prime if you don't overfill them. ;)

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Chris Cairns
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Re: Mamod upgrade

Post by Chris Cairns » Fri Aug 04, 2017 12:53 pm

Killian Keane wrote: I hate to be distrustful of domeless engines
Effectively these aftermarket Mamod/MSS replacement copper boilers do have a steam dome, it is just part of the steam turret at the rear. After all, this is what Accucraft & Roundhouse use on most of their locomotives.

The only boilers I've suspected on having problems with these steam turrets is the current 2nd generation Mamod ones that are fitted with reheat pipes - there is a reheat pipe very close to the steam turret, and indeed on my oscillating Thomas Telford the front reheat tube was flowing directly onto the safety valve, thus setting it off early until I fitted it to the rear bushing.

Chris Cairns

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