REGNER MAX
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REGNER MAX
Now I know your all going to say save your pennies for a proper loco, but I like the oddities etc so Opinions please
REGNER MAX
Regner have brought out a very basic vertical boilered loco MAX selling about £220 via martins Models (soon apparently)
It has a brass chassis, wood floor, resin body work and runs on gel fuel or tablets and has single non reversable cylinder (unless shunting do I need to worry about reverse?). Looks like you can add ie water filling valve and sight glass...there are fittings so it looks like on the side of the boiler
It looks and lends to loco bashing, and fitting of a home made meths burner or even gas looks possible. I would certainly fit a wind shield in any case
Anyone seen one and its it woth the pennies compared to the mamod gas loco??? The You tube videos make it look simple to use.
Photos enclosed (excuse the cut off ones...don't know why..think captured on a page break)
Crackingjob
REGNER MAX
Regner have brought out a very basic vertical boilered loco MAX selling about £220 via martins Models (soon apparently)
It has a brass chassis, wood floor, resin body work and runs on gel fuel or tablets and has single non reversable cylinder (unless shunting do I need to worry about reverse?). Looks like you can add ie water filling valve and sight glass...there are fittings so it looks like on the side of the boiler
It looks and lends to loco bashing, and fitting of a home made meths burner or even gas looks possible. I would certainly fit a wind shield in any case
Anyone seen one and its it woth the pennies compared to the mamod gas loco??? The You tube videos make it look simple to use.
Photos enclosed (excuse the cut off ones...don't know why..think captured on a page break)
Crackingjob
- Dr. Bond of the DVLR
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Crackingjob runs on plenty of continuous lines though Zach
Looks nice, I wouldn't mind one myself to play about with if I hadn't got the Willi (mine was only a few quid more than that too mind ). If they bring out a water top up kit, and you ran it on solid fuel or meths etc, you could keep it in continuous steam for as long as you wanted too.
Looks nice, I wouldn't mind one myself to play about with if I hadn't got the Willi (mine was only a few quid more than that too mind ). If they bring out a water top up kit, and you ran it on solid fuel or meths etc, you could keep it in continuous steam for as long as you wanted too.
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Thanks for the advice...yes I cannot understand for the sake of two holes and a bit of pipe why they could not have made it reversable
Looking at fittings (and i need to ask) there are plugs on the side for a water level..I assume threfore knowing regner that will allow for top up kit.
Looking on the US sites they have a similar one as a project for about that money...but it is scratch build.
Question is..is the new mamod a better option?
Crackingjob
ps. Im and end to end at present...one day will have a continious run.
Looking at fittings (and i need to ask) there are plugs on the side for a water level..I assume threfore knowing regner that will allow for top up kit.
Looking on the US sites they have a similar one as a project for about that money...but it is scratch build.
Question is..is the new mamod a better option?
Crackingjob
ps. Im and end to end at present...one day will have a continious run.
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Dont know if this helps anyone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncTuaNed ... re=related
im consindering it now ive seen that... a top up valve and gas burner and then your only real mod to do is a reverser wich could be done by way of reversing steam/exhaust or possibly adding a 3rd gear shaft
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncTuaNed ... re=related
im consindering it now ive seen that... a top up valve and gas burner and then your only real mod to do is a reverser wich could be done by way of reversing steam/exhaust or possibly adding a 3rd gear shaft
Passengers are reminded not to tease the engines
1 of my friends bougth 1 and quickly sold it on, it was terrible.
while cheap and cheerful and full of charm it couldnt be used outside.
That burner of its will blow out at the hint of a breeze. (its burns sterno)
I like it but unless something done about the burner I wouldnt bother.
while cheap and cheerful and full of charm it couldnt be used outside.
That burner of its will blow out at the hint of a breeze. (its burns sterno)
I like it but unless something done about the burner I wouldnt bother.
A steam propelled life-style.
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I wouldnt want a loco that runs well straight out the box... I like modding and fiddling with badly made things making them work!pauly wrote:1 of my friends bougth 1 and quickly sold it on, it was terrible.
while cheap and cheerful and full of charm it couldnt be used outside.
That burner of its will blow out at the hint of a breeze. (its burns sterno)
I like it but unless something done about the burner I wouldnt bother.
Passengers are reminded not to tease the engines
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- Trainee Driver
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- Location: West Cornwall
Blue Max review
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
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
Last edited by Crackingjob on Wed Aug 11, 2010 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Yes there are upgrades (you can see a short film on You Tube) ie pressure gauge and water level, though I would put a refil in as opposed to a pressure gague
I need to source a reverser,and look at gas burner/tank (round one and tank £60 from PPS or Forest Classic) or DIY meths burner
I have a wind shield now thanks to a friend
Crackingjob
I need to source a reverser,and look at gas burner/tank (round one and tank £60 from PPS or Forest Classic) or DIY meths burner
I have a wind shield now thanks to a friend
Crackingjob
Last edited by Crackingjob on Thu Aug 12, 2010 8:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
Excellent review Crackingjob! Looks like you got yourself a nice toy there, look forward to seeing it running at the next meeting!
Last edited by mhlr on Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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