Garden Railway Forum

Hi Dave,

Thank you so much for those pics, I'm so glad I asked, that's a sweetly engineered solution. I would never have guessed the details from your other pictures.
I bet they were fiddly to make too, is that 3 parts per pipe, or is the abutment turned as part of the pipe? Also, what's the reason for using two different sizes of O ring if both ports can be either inlet or exhaust?

Best,

Tom

Thanks Tom!

I'm doing the buffers at the moment, copying the large De Winton's arrangement

Tom the blacksmith wrote: ↑Mon Oct 28, 2019 7:48 pm Hi Dave,

Thank you so much for those pics, I'm so glad I asked, that's a sweetly engineered solution. I would never have guessed the details from your other pictures.
I bet they were fiddly to make too, is that 3 parts per pipe, or is the abutment turned as part of the pipe? Also, what's the reason for using two different sizes of O ring if both ports can be either inlet or exhaust?

Best,

Tom

Thanks Tom, it's a bit of copy of what Aster did on my Baldwin, except theirs don't screw out.

The pipes are one piece, with a nut glued on to help with the screwing out into position.

The pipes are different sizes 1/8" for steam and 5/32" for exhaust when running forwards. We'll see if it makes any difference, it was to ease the flow of exhaust.

dewintondave wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:06 am The pipes are different sizes 1/8" for steam and 5/32" for exhaust when running forwards. We'll see if it makes any difference, it was to ease the flow of exhaust.

Hi Dave,

I thought that might be the case, as well as easing exhaust out you might be keeping inlet gas speeds high for good cylinder filling. I would be intrigued to hear what you find, please keep us posted. Love the buffers too!!

Best,

Tom

Ps that wood looks a little like purple heart?

Tom the blacksmith wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:23 am
Ps that wood looks a little like purple heart?

It's Kwila Tom, it was rock hard so I milled it in the lathe

Hi Dave,
As soon as I saw that timber I thought Merbau. Then you came up with Kwila, had to look that up, to find they are one and the same. It does mill nicely, made good keels and floors on boats too, I've heard it referred to as swamp teak.
Boy! that Hunslet is coming along since I last saw it. Fantastic job.
Grant.

Just finished the dome. Prior to that, I made the water filler cover

Domes can be interesting to make and yours look great. Have you soldered a piece of brass wire around the edge as a bead ?
Grant.

Loving your build Dave. It's looking better by the day.

Thanks lads! There's no bead on this dome Grant

Gee! better get my eyes tested.
Top job on the dome coz it looks just like it has a bead around the edge to me.
Grant.

LNR wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 7:53 am Gee! better get my eyes tested.
it looks just like it has a bead around the edge to me.

I thought the same, but it must just be the way the light catches the edge, I guess.

It's getting there lads! And the 4th year anniversary is looming

Looks lovely Dave, beautiful build.

Best,

Tom

She's looking mightily impressive Dave..

Thanks lads

I've been doing a paint test on ordinary household enamel paint. I tested this strip at 120, 150, and then 180 deg C for an hour each. The paint held up well, I mixed it from black and light grey which I have some old tins of. I'm finally going to paint the smokebox!. Look at the temper colour of the steel strip, it was shiny steel at the start. There was a light straw at 150 deg, and nothing at 120. My smokebox door drawbar has a light straw colour to it from the steam tests, but there's no colouration to the shiny smokebox front or door.

Well, I mixed-up my custom smokebox colour and have given it a coat. Here we are drying in the sun. I'll have to fire it to give the paint a good baking

Very very pretty Dave. Suddenly when you get some distance you can see it as a whole rather than a collection of components. More power to your elbow .

Best,

Tom

Thanks Tom!

Had an excellent run on the rolling road today - to bake the enamel Ran for over an hour

Tom the blacksmith wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:23 am

dewintondave wrote: ↑Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:06 am The pipes are different sizes 1/8" for steam and 5/32" for exhaust when running forwards. We'll see if it makes any difference, it was to ease the flow of exhaust.

Hi Dave,

I thought that might be the case, as well as easing exhaust out you might be keeping inlet gas speeds high for good cylinder filling. I would be intrigued to hear what you find, please keep us posted. Love the buffers too!!

Best,

Tom

Very interesting results Tom. After lots of forward running I tried reverse, it's not as good in reverse, slows up. Lots of steam oil appeared in the exhaust outlet. The smaller steam pipe must be coated in oil, and then suddenly that became the exhaust, so all the oil enroute suddenly goes to waste