I finally plumbed for the Regner MAX. I had a wobble when I saw the revised Mk2 Mamod (the one they keep revising) at £299, but it did not lend itself to extras i.e. enots filler etc.
I suppose I could have gone for a bog standard MSS/Mamod from Dream Steam (£160 in summer sale) and added a high pressure boiler (£110) and gas kit (£72)...total of £342,but it was a modified Mamod (nice one at that!) and I wanted something different.
I was after a budget loco at £200 + mark and the Max came in at £245..a little disappointing as it was supposed to be £225 but seems exchange rates and making bumped it up
So what do you get (besides a card box and a smile from Alan at Dream Steam)..you get a vertical boiler loco, driven to one axle by gears from a single cylinder (which goes only one way...so a reverser will have to be sourced), oil, Sterno type gel fuel, a syringe to load water and English instructions with photos(but instructions cover only firing the boiler and oiling, not about adjusting wheels etc. Seems they have just fitted a stationary engine on wheels)
The loco is a similar length/width of an original Mamod, based on a metal chassis, with gauge adjustable wheels (a nice plus, though the grub screws are small). The gears and fly wheel also are grub screwed fixed allowing no end of fun for those who like rebuilding. It has single buffers which take pin and chain.
But oh dear! I thought, laid over the metal chassis is a nicely scribed wood floor, which later seemed to put up with the heat from the burner. Also there are nicely made wood superstructures, but these are glued and very easy to break off. Amazingly the MAX name plates are screwed into the wood superstructure with tiny bolts!
The boiler though is a silver soldered boiler with central flue, with preheating tubes underneath. Another plus is that it has a drain plug, and bush fitted for a pressure gauge or water refill. On the other are bushes for water level (though it would be small at about 2cm. Underneath is the burner area, basically a round metal tray in to which you pour the Sterno type fluid (don’t over fill or it flows over the edge as you try to fit it in...or use a syringe!. You fill up with at least 20ml of water, though I squeezed in 85ml. Sounds not a lot but give 10-15 minutes run, and I am assured when run in the efficiency is very good. Fuel is via Sterno type fuel gel, of which the stuff supplied, is rubbish and leaves a gel residue. So I reverted to Mamod tablets. Two in the pan seemed to do very well.
Power is via a single cylinder and goes only one way, but there are two oil lubricators (one for cylinder other the gear axle). The gears lead to the rear axle and all like the wheels can be moved. Alan at Dream Steam said that when changing to 32mm he had to move the gears and fly wheel along, but I seemed to just have enough clearance when adjusting the wheels.
I am still running it in (and no idea of pulling power), but when I got her moving she ran at a slow and realistic speed. Starting is getting up to pressure (the safety valve blows at 3.5 bar/ 43 ish psi), and open the regulator (a wheel) and clear condensation from the cylinder (watch the water from the cylinder exhaust which shoots straight up....into your face if leaning over) and flick the fly wheel and off she goes. You will have to oil and run in several times but eventually she goes.
So for value, yes ok when compared to electric mice at £350 plus, and obviously a good starter loco. You will however need to have an efficiant burner ie.gas to keep up the steam.
What I like is that Regner have added bushes for extras, adjustable wheels, and simple construction leading to lots of possibilities in 16mm/g scale or even 7/8ths..I.e. quarry or logging loco or tram.
Why Blue Max? Well the loco is Max, the boiler painted blue and Blue Max or Pour le Merite, was a German military decoration from 1740 until the end of World War I..The loco is good but I don’t know yet if it will merit that award.
Crackingjob
. So you can run it on mamod fuel tablets?