Author Topic: Another Simplex Refurbishment  (Read 57659 times)

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #60 on: October 15, 2012, 11:11:31 AM »
Dave, Ron, Vince, Carl

Thanks for the good wishes guys. This evening I finished modifying the access rail to get the loco from the car to the steaming bay and the replacement shovel got half built, so the jobs list is being worked through.

regards

Pete
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #61 on: October 16, 2012, 09:28:58 AM »
The shovel wasn't too much effort to make.
  • At the top; the one that came with the loco, it only just went though the firehole door but couldn't be maneuvered easily at all.
  • The middle;  the club loaner
  • Bottom; my effort at replication. It fits nicely through the door and reaches well into the firebox, the looped handle makes it maneuverable so the coal can easily be dropped off and the length means I don't need to stretch so far.



I didn't have any stainless so made do with 1mm brass sheet and some 3/16" steel rod I had lying around.

SWMBO is now asking for some kitchen utensils!! Despite MBO status I may just have to ignore that for now

Pete
« Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 07:52:52 AM by doubletop »
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15293
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #62 on: October 16, 2012, 09:56:55 AM »
Ho boy I can see why you would have had problems with that original shovel.  :Doh:

I like your round handle, it should be stronger than the original you borrowed :ThumbsUp:, did you think where you are going to store her whilst running?

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #63 on: October 16, 2012, 10:42:28 AM »
Jo

Thanks; There's plenty of room in the bunker above the well tank. My Simplex was made over 1/2" wider and 3" longer that Martin Evans drawings so the bunker is plenty big enough for coal and bits and bobs.



Also my riding trolley, although fitted for gas for my Rob Roy the gauge/valve panel comes out pretty quickly for additional handy storage.



It's also rigged for 12v with an additional 2 Litre water tank and pump  ;D

Pete
« Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 07:56:04 AM by doubletop »
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Offline zeeprogrammer

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6811
  • West Chester, PA, USA
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #64 on: October 16, 2012, 11:55:29 AM »
I can never get enough of your pics of the loco. Just beautiful.

Despite MBO status I may just have to ignore that for now

Good luck with that.  ;D
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline NickG

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1430
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #65 on: October 16, 2012, 04:04:27 PM »
Fantastic job again Pete  :ThumbsUp:

Offline arnoldb

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1341
  • Windhoek, Namibia
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #66 on: October 16, 2012, 08:07:40 PM »
 :whoohoo: Congratulations Pete  :whoohoo:
Can't wait for the first track run video  ;D

... Just tell SWMBO you don't have food-grade silver solder   :paranoia:

Kind regards, Arnold
Building an engine takes Patience, Planning, Preparation and Machining.
Procrastination is nearly the same, but it precludes machining.
Thus, an engine will only be built once the procrastination stops and the machining begins!

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #67 on: October 17, 2012, 10:15:11 AM »
Carl, Nick Arnold

Thanks for your support. I've also passed your comments on to SWMBO with no negative reaction at the moment. I take the view get the pain over as soon as you can then you can get back to normal as sooner.

regards

Pete
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #68 on: November 04, 2012, 09:11:20 AM »
It was a nice day so I went to the track today to do a "logistics dry run". When it comes to the day of the first proper run you have to be ready.

  • Can I get everything into the car by myself?
  • Have I got everything I need?
  • Can I get it out of they car and onto the steaming bays by myself?
  • Have I really got everything I need?
  • Steam it up
  • Have I got the stuff I need to deal with the things that aren't working quite right.
  • Do the shut down, clean up, tidy up
  • Can I get it back into the car by myself?
  • Get home and work on rectifying all the bits that didn't quite go as planned

And that's all I can do at the moment however the point of this exercise was to make sure I'm ready when the new track is completed, and it isn't far off



A couple of weeks, end of the month at the latest, easily ready for the start of summer

Pete
« Last Edit: November 04, 2012, 09:19:09 AM by doubletop »
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Offline zeeprogrammer

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6811
  • West Chester, PA, USA
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #69 on: November 04, 2012, 12:20:37 PM »
Very much looking forward to it Pete.

Still strikes me odd that people are getting ready for summer while we're getting ready for winter.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline steamer

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
  • Central Massachusetts, USA
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #70 on: November 04, 2012, 01:24:19 PM »
Very much looking forward to it Pete.

Still strikes me odd that people are getting ready for summer while we're getting ready for winter.


Me Too!!!!!

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline ScroungerLee

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 299
  • Southwest Connecticut, US, North America, Earth
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #71 on: November 04, 2012, 02:15:16 PM »
Perhaps I need a second house in NZ.  That would require a separate shop. Hmmm.

Lee
Mmmmm.... Shiny!

Offline steamer

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
  • Central Massachusetts, USA
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #72 on: November 04, 2012, 02:25:34 PM »
Perhaps I need a second house in NZ.  That would require a separate shop. Hmmm.

Lee


Nope....just need to get adopted! :ROFL:
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #73 on: November 05, 2012, 08:39:08 AM »
Well guys you can't have it both ways, unless you find yourself a place in the southern hemisphere you've had your summer now its our turn :D Or, as we are actually ahead of you in time, we've had our winter now its your turn. :(  Depends if you are of the glass half full or half empty disposition.

 I'm from the northern hemisphere and still struggle a little bit with summer at Christmas time. Christmas shopping in shorts and tee shirts and Christmas day when it is supposed to be cold. One solution is turn the air con to full cold, put on some warm clothing, light the fire and enjoy Christmas day. Then get over it and the next day have some people around get a barbecue going and enjoy a few cold beers out in the sun.

Back to model engineering; The club archivist had taken some photos yesterday. The ground level track is still accessible from the steaming bays and there is a short 5" gauge section. Actually there's a pretty long 5" gauge section but an upgrade of the 7.25" gauge track omitted to complete the  points so you can't get far. Anyway I took it for a run up and down. As I hadn't anticipated doing this my riding trolley wasn't set up for ground level running so I had to resort to shunting up and down driving from the track-side.



Its getting close Carl

Pete
« Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 07:58:26 AM by doubletop »
?To achieve anything in this game, you must be prepared to dabble on the boundary of disaster.? - Stirling Moss

Offline sbwhart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 745
  • Live Long and Prosper
Re: Another Simplex Refurbishment
« Reply #74 on: November 05, 2012, 09:12:16 AM »
Blimey Pete I bet your chomping at the bit to get it running arround that track.

It's all looking good.

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal