Jan-mod, an update four years in the making!!

[Spule 4]

All:

In nearly 25 years of ownership, she has seen a lot of money spent, that is for sure.  

Seems to be running better now, some more "running in" needed.

Anyhow, here are the pix:



Bottom, showing the Sidestreet burner, TIGHT fit (some cutting done) to get it in there with the PPS wheel nuts.  

Note washers.  

Moved the old brace forward, seems to work, less frame flex.

Roundhouse lubricator means oil is now everywhere.



Footplate view, the stinking camera is more interested in focusing on the fruit than the loco tho.  

Roundhouse lubricator is the big change since last time.  

Filler neck for the burner can be seen.  



Made the mistake of painting before assembly and running, so much of my airbrush work needs to be redone.  

The rear driver has been re-bonded from coming loose from the axel.  

The Mamod con rods are Mamod, along with the reverser, the rest is all IP or PPS.



The other side.  

More cosmetic work to be done (handrails, paint, nameplates, sanders, etc) once we get it running 100%.

Feel free to ask any questions, I can only tell you how to build a Mamod if cost is NOT a factor!

Would I do it again?  Well......always looking for another Mamod!

[Chris Cairns]

Great to see your modified Mamod Garrett. What is it going to be called?

The lubricator looks the part fitted in the cab.

And the use of the chassis spacer at the back of the cylinders is a great idea, as the chassis does indeed tend to get bent in that area. I must try that on one of my locos.

[Spule 4]

Great to see your modified Mamod Garrett. What is it going to be called?

The lubricator looks the part fitted in the cab.

And the use of the chassis spacer at the back of the cylinders is a great idea, as the chassis does indeed tend to get bent in that area. I must try that on one of my locos.

Not sure on the name, what I do know is it will probably be a female one, as the next steam loco I buy will be named after my mother (using her middle name of "LYNN") who passed away last month.

Yes, much better than the old one. I am keeping the IP lubricator and the Van Dort ones, I am sure I can find uses for both...nevermind the TINY capacity of the VanDort one!



Yes, the spacer idea came to me when I dropped one of the nuts on the shop floor.... I thought there had to be an easier way. It reduces much of the flex...and possibly the bind problems that these locos seem to have. Also the original position of the Sidestreet burner required the removal of the nut/screw at the footplate/frame mounting right below the boiler. Getting all of this in here and using the washers to get the axel nuts tight made things a LOT better as far as being solid and no binds.

Now I need to have someone talk me out of my idea of "upgrading" the MSS saddle tanker....somehow I have that idea stuck in my head! Economically, it makes NO sense, the loco here in the US would be $300 for starters, half the price of a Janet...

But then it is a nice looking loco. Only if MSS sold the tin bits as spares, then it might make more sense?

[ACLR]

nice looking loco there Garrett looks great.
I would love one of those boilers tho but at £100 a bit pricy for me.
would nearly AUD$250 by the time I got it here

[Chris Cairns]

Garrett I would not recommend a MSS Saddle Tank loco as they have a poor reputation.

On another Forum, one member had one delivered which had been damaged (possibly at the factory), returned that one and on the next one the wheels fell off! So he got a refund and went elsewhere.

I got one new off ebay, with the intention of leaving it in the cupboard until I had a running Garden Railway. However following the above Forum member's problems I decided to get this loco run-in. Short answer is it is not easily modified, and suffers from poor quality control. I've been meaning to post a topic on this loco, but it is a long story and will take some time to produce. This loco is currently sitting in the 'almost got it running properly' pile in my workshop (the kitchen), but has consumed a lot of time which my other engines could do with. I'll try later today to at least start a Topic on this loco, which is my (edit) fourth live steam loco.

Having said the above, I should point out that Sam (South-Trethevy) has a green MSS Saddle Tank which appears to run OK, so maybe he can share his experience of this loco with us - see 'Golly Gosh' on here http://www.freewebs.com/tremar-rail/loc ... #111459521

[mhlr]

When I visited Sam, his MSS ST seemed to run fine. I was rather impressed by it. But I've heard of problems with other people's before... I think I may have a bash at a normal Mamod one day and home make a saddle tank from tinplate...

[Chris Cairns]

OK just posted my topic on the MSS Saddle Tank, which actually has a better outcome than my feeling this morning.

Things to consider (all prices quoted include UK VAT which you would need to remove) with the Saddle Tank is it costs £170 (no kit version), as opposed to the Side Tank loco at £155, or £145 for a kit version. Then you need to add the cost of your modifications, starting with the boiler at £100 if IP Eng has any left, otherwise more expensive with PPS as their boiler has no water top-up valve or uprated safety valve.

IP Jane's do not appear very often on ebay, last one I saw had to be relisted (too high reserve) and went for about £200. I think I paid something similar for mine.

So you could look at getting an SL1K or MSS Sidetank kit, which you wish to modify to be like an IP Jane or PPS Janet with the Mamod/MSS bodywork, or get a IP Jane or PPS Janet and fit it with the necessary Mamod bodywork (cab front, cab roof, cab back, rear dragbeam with coupling ring and buffers).

Either way expensive options.

Mamods & MSS's are going for high prices on ebay at present, IP Janes are rare, and I've not seen a PPS Janet yet. It is all about patience and being lucky.

[Spule 4]

Thanks for the replies gents!

Yes, some reason, 2nd-hand Mamods are going for a lot of money now compared to even a couple years back.

As far as the saddle tanker, yes, it would be a costly venture, as much of the "problematic" parts would be replaced with IP or PPS bits. I would be more happy buying the sheetmetal, or just making my own tank similar to the Ffestiniog rebuild treatment of the "England" locos.

There was a loco here in the US listed as a "IP Janet"??? on US eBay that I put a bid on but got outbid as it ended at work. However, the buyer was from Belgium, has zero feedback, and no feedback has been posted on either side yet, so not sure if the deal went through. If it is like selling a car on eBay, it may take one or two tries. I bid US $365, I figured the max I would go as I can get a new one from PPS for $600 US.

Thanks again, hope to get some more running in once it warms up here, and another week until the time change so more evening daylight hours.....

[Chris Cairns]

Could not find that IP Janet on ebay - do you have an item number for it?

ebay is strange in that if you search on ebay.co.uk with the worldwide option selected, you do not always see the items listed on ebay.com

Here is a modified Mamod that fits your requirements, but look at the price already (£205 as I post this) - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mamod-Narrow-Gaug ... dZViewItem Wonder if the IP Eng lubricator actually works as they do not mention that the loco is a runner or not, just looks great.

[Spule 4]

Could not find that IP Janet on ebay - do you have an item number for it?

ebay is strange in that if you search on ebay.co.uk with the worldwide option selected, you do not always see the items listed on ebay.com

Here is a modified Mamod that fits your requirements, but look at the price already (£205 as I post this) - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mamod-Narrow-Gaug ... dZViewItem Wonder if the IP Eng lubricator actually works as they do not mention that the loco is a runner or not, just looks great.

It would help if I had listed it right, it was a "PPS JANE" in the listing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=004

The buyer has feedback for a Mamod Mecano stationary engine (the same as the one I have) so I think it is legit now.

The Mamod you have listed I have been watching, VERY nice model, with all the difficult bits done.

[Chris Cairns]

Thanks for that link, I've now found it.

I would say it is an IP Jane, due to the small round brass fitting on the smokebox door. The PPS Janet uses the standard Mamod/MSS fitting there. Another change but not easy to see is the IP Jane's had their own smokebox and chimney's cast by IP Eng, with the middle part of the buffer beam at the front fully cutout, whereas I believe the PPS Janet uses the standard Mamod (now MSS) smokebox and chimney, and that has a full buffer beam cast on the front (i.e. no cutout). It also has the same style of wheels that I have fitted to my IP Jane, and the IP Jane/PPS Janet composite rebuild.

The radio control linkages are very interesting. The regulator one cannot have much movement so I guess this is actually started from a partly open position, and the proper control comes from operating the reverser valve at the front. Must have been very crowded in the cab with 2 micro servos, and there must have been a following wagon with the receiver and batteries.

PPS do state it is possible to radio control. I have not got around to ordering all the bits I need from them yet, so must ask for more details on this radio control possibility.

US $365.05 was a very good price for that loco, particularly with the gas burner (IP Jane's were meths fired), cylinder covers (an option) & the radio control linkage. I'm sure you wished you had bid a higher price now.

[Spule 4]

Thanks for that link, I've now found it.

I would say it is an IP Jane, due to the small round brass fitting on the smokebox door.  I'm sure you wished you had bid a higher price now.

Actually, no.  

Being secondhand, you really do not know what you are getting, and if you read the description carefully, they got it secondhand and never actually fired it, just sat on the desk of a VT engineer.

[Spule 4]

By the way, a bit of fun with the postal scale....

The loco weighs 2 pounds 11oz or 1.2 KG!

[Chris Cairns]

The Listing included TUNE IT UP FOR ME

I guess it depends what this means, certainly if that had been used on ebay UK I would have understood it to mean it had been steamed, as they have already covered the additional items that were added elsewhere in the listing text. Certainly it would have been easy enough to ask if it is a runner.

That modified Mamod I posted above does not mention if it is a runner or not. We will see tonight what price it makes.

I've been looking out for a near mint boxed SL1 for my collection (got the rest either boxed or in a Railway set), but these are going for way over £100 at present.

One problem with online Forums like this is that it generates knowledge and interest which fuels the collecting habit, and of course prices go up accordingly.

[steamyjim]

Great loco Garret!

So was it originally a SL3?

[Spule 4]

Great loco Garret!

So was it originally a SL3?

Thank you.

The loco came in a set (RS3 is on a sticker on the box) with an oval of track and two passenger carriges. Had a daft looking chimney when new.

So not sure if that makes it an SL3 or not. I got the set via Diamond Enterprises back in the 1980s, would have been 1985 if memory serves.

[steamyjim]

Aye thats a SL3 then.

I imagine it would be a early RS3 as it has the sticker as opposed to it being printed on the box

[steamyjim]

The reason the stickers on it as opposed to printed on the box is i beleive because Mamod wanted it released quicly and didn't have time to get RS3 boxes printed so just stuck RS3 coded stickers on a RS1 box

[Spule 4]

The reason the stickers on it as opposed to printed on the box is i beleive because Mamod wanted it released quicly and didn't have time to get RS3 boxes printed so just stuck RS3 coded stickers on a RS1 box

Thanks for the information. The RS1 was a freight set with a green or blue locomotive, wasn't it?

I have some older Mamod information here from the 1980s. The first idea was to get the loco kit for me, but my folks ended up getting me the set instead.

I have always liked the idea of the kit Mamod loco, I should grab one of the MSS ones someday for fun.

[Spule 4]

I remember this now....the reason for the set was the track. Back in the 1980s there were LGB dealers all over Ohio (where I used to live). I was going to get the kit to build it to 45mm gauge, but in the end the track was just too expensive. So we built a railway using Atlas O track. The stuff was great as it was CHEAP. However, the plastic used for the sleepers had no UV resistance, so the track deteriorated.

Along with expensive Mamod rebuilds, I can tell you how NOT to build a garden railway!