Garden Railway Forum

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:18 am No small feat to get a small model injector to pick up first time. Congratulations Tom.
Grant.

I was about to say that, myself. A fine job you're making of that 'Pea, Tom.

David, thanks for reminding my forgetful ar*e, I'll need to order one of those presses. Certainly looks to give nicer results than my drill press.

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 5:46 pm Looks like you're really getting stuck into this project, Tom. Of course, I've no idea what I'm looking at but I'm impressed that you know what you're doing...

Rik

I am enjoying the larger size of the loco, components, etc.

I will go into more detail of how it all works on the project thread (this is all new to me, I assumed that most of you understood how a real steam engine works so I did not want to be patronising!)

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 36&t=12484

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:18 am No small feat to get a small model injector to pick up first time. Congratulations Tom.
Grant.

So far it works perfectly every time, I just turn on the water and steam and away it goes (the noise of the injector sounds like a bird singing to me). I have had the loco in steam for a hour and the water temperature in the saddle tank does not impact the reliability of the injector (the club uses the supplier of the injector I purchased, not cheap but then you don't want an injector that is not reliable and cannot fill the boiler!)

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:02 am ....... I assumed that most of you understood how a real steam engine works so I did not want to be patronising!

Patronise away, Tom. I know the basics of how a steam loco works but not the intricate detail. A bit like my knowledge of horses and horse riding..

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:45 pm not the intricate detail. A bit like my knowledge of horses and horse riding..

I always thought that the only thing you needed to know about horses is that one end kicks and the other end bites!

philipy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:40 pm I always thought that the only thing you needed to know about horses is that one end kicks and the other end bites!

..... and they've got a leg at each corner!

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 5:32 pm

philipy wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 3:40 pm I always thought that the only thing you needed to know about horses is that one end kicks and the other end bites!

..... and they've got a leg at each corner!

Rik

except for the three leggy horse race entries

Can we stop horsing around and stay on topic.

Cheque please!

Two weeks into the lock-down and I'm working on the axle box keepers for "Charles" frames


We march ever forwards

Still awaiting the delivery of more bass wood and so can't finish off the curved roof of the railcar until it arrives. In the meantime, I decided to do a few repairs and modifications which came to light during my recent run session.

I've now tidied up the cables in the cab of the old railbus. I'd not been aware of them until they showed up glaringly in the video. All a lot neater now.

I also decided it was time to add proper couplings to my IP Plate Frame Simplex loco. I have two chassis for her, one 45mm and the other 32mm gauge. So, I installed the 45mm chassis and gave her proper height buffers and my hook and loop couplings and have had her pottering about the timber yard. I also added a light to the front, it's directional but also mirrors the receiver LED so useful to know she it's found the tx. All seems to have worked out OK. Will take some video later in the week - in the meantime here are a couple of shots. I know it looks incongruous but I quite like the massive buffers.
. .
Rik

My projects included building some RC diesel loco's from scratch, so I did (this includes body, wheels, cranks, chassis plates, bearings, bushes, axles, motor mounts, footplates, buffer beams and right down to the buffers which are turned at home in my little man cave). When they were complete I put the up for sale (picture below) and they were both sold within half an hour and another one would have gone if I had it. I had to mark the post as sold as I was getting many comments and interest on them.

I am currently working on an 0-6-0 chassis. It will probably resemble a Castle Harlech when it's finished and I don't think I will have much trouble selling that one either. Just a shame it takes me weeks to build them from raw material into a working model. I will post some pictures up when it's complete

This parcel was left on my doorstep this morning. I have no idea as to what might be inside ....... .
Good job I got the household authority's approval before ordering it!

Rik

They certainly weren't kidding when they said it was a DIY kit .
But fortunately there is a 44 page manual provided on the CD, 30 pages of which are devoted to assembling the kit - and it is written in comprehensible English (famous last words?). .
AND .... they've even included a couple of screwdrivers! .
So, forgive me if I go a bit quiet over the next couple of days.

I'm just stepping outside (to the workshop). I may be some time!

Rik

Good luck!

Wot Tom said!!!!

Ah, but is it gauge adjustable?

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:06 pm Ah, but is it gauge adjustable?

It certainly will be by the time I've sorted it out.......

As recommended on the first page, I read through all 30 pages of the assembly instructions and felt fairly confident that I knew what I was doing. So, I set to work! Only to discover that the instructions seemed to be for an earlier version of the kit - very few of the parts resembled those in the instructions. Undaunted I searched the internet for more relevant instructions. None was forthcoming, but I did find a video in which an employee of the Chinese company assembled a kit which looked very similar to mine. However, the video is double speed and there are no closeups of what he's actually doing so it's difficult to see which of the many small parts he's putting together. By pausing the video every few seconds and peering closely at the screen I've managed to reach about half way.

https://youtu.be/7RTm5zLa0ZY

There are some differences between the video version and mine and one of the main structural modifications they've made in the new kit to my mind is retrograde, so I'm putting in a couple of my own mods to improve it. For example, the threaded rods which spin to move the printhead in the Z (vertical) axis have no proper upper bearings - they just sit in holes in the plywood frame. I reckon they will wear very quickly which will eventually also affect the accuracy of the Y (horizontal) axis movements. I'm going to make metal bushes for the holes - nothing sophisticated, just a couple of washers bolted either side of the holes.

For a printer which costs around a tenth of the usual cost of a similar printer, I suppose it's inevitable it will involve some tweaking as MetalMuncher suggested. I'll keep you posted.

Rik

I hope you have not bought a white elephant!

Keeping fingers, toes, and other things, crossed for you, Rik.

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 7:57 am I hope you have not bought a white elephant!

Not found one in the box, yet!

Rik