Author Topic: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco  (Read 87934 times)

Offline sbwhart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 745
  • Live Long and Prosper
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #30 on: September 20, 2012, 04:08:23 PM »
Bit more done not many pics this time as it was mainly boring stuff.


As the crank pins and been bodged the same as the axles decided to make new just a nice hand tight fit in the wheel then some loctite.

Then using the quartering jig and high strength loctite secure the wheels in place, it doesn't mater if they are out a deg or two but all wheels must be out the same using the jig makes this job a doddle.



After letting the locite do it curring thing tried them in the frame  :Doh: i'd put one axle block on the wrong way, nothing for it but to pull the wheel off, with the origonal axles they came off easy after a bit of heat from the heat gun, but this there was more resistance I was shitting myself that I would crack the wheel so a bit more heat and another go still nothing, so a lot more heat and another go this time bang:---  :( crapped pants:-   but it was only the loctite giving way. I supose thats what you get when you do the job correct  :D

Made new axles box and spring keeps and fitted the springs, I was assembling the last pair of springs when Murphy struck, I slipped and:- ping one of the springs disapeared a quick search and nothing:- plan B, clean the shop nothing:- plan C, call CSI in for a forensic search nothing:- plan D, order a new set of springs and its bound to turn up. That worked took a casual glance and their it was peeping out from under the mini wheel lauging at me. plan E cansel new set of springs.

 :ROFL: :ROFL: :Jester: :Jester:

Her it is all assembled.



Also took delivery of a trolly lift to help move the thing about and load and unload it from the car, bin looking for one of these for some time and Dek spotted these on ebay ?200 free delivery a good ?50 saving on other supliers:- Thanks Dek  :thumbup:



Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #31 on: September 21, 2012, 09:29:45 AM »
Stew

Another great job I was feeling for you when you described removing the wheels again. I recall you have a bit of wheel problem with your other loco I can imagine what was going through your head.

Nice trolley too, now you just need to do the rotisserie mod. Best thing I did it makes all the difference to being able to rotate it with one finger and easily get to everything. I can post the pics if you want. Sorry no drawings, I was told where the CofG of a Simplex was above the buffer CL and built it on the fly.

Pete
?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: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #32 on: September 21, 2012, 02:11:56 PM »
thanks Pete a pic of the rotisserie would be great, I'm going to adpot the one I made for the 3 1/2" loco.

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #33 on: September 21, 2012, 09:34:55 PM »
Stew

I have the same trolley so, just like you I can load the loco into and our of the car but have adapted it to include the rotisserie. Without removing it I can get the loco into out of the car, jack it up to working height attach it to the rotisserie and then drop the table to work on the loco.









Levitation!!



I don't have any long shots but can do more pics of detail if you wish

Its all done in aluminum tube and plate, our local  supplier is literally 5 mins from the house they'll supply stock lengths or you can go into the workshop and rummage through the stock and scrap and they'll cut and sell by weight.

Pete
« Last Edit: July 16, 2017, 10:16:11 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: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #34 on: September 21, 2012, 09:51:32 PM »
Ho my now that is handy, I was going to attache the rotisserie to the top of the table, thats got me thinking in another direction, I'd have to buy some ally section but I think I may do something similar now.





In this pic whats that hole for in the running board in front of the lubricator through into the top of the steam chest is it so you can get oil into the steam chest when you store the loco ?.

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline NickG

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1430
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #35 on: September 22, 2012, 08:39:16 AM »
They are both good ideas, the stand and the hole for oil in valve chest, I've seen some people put plugs in the side of the chest, sure it's a useful addition.

We're having trouble with our club simplex at the moment I'm told. It was left by the family of a long serving member who sadly passed away early in the year. They've lapped the valves in and fitted new piston rings - it seems to make lots of steam and noise but have little power! Strange because I remember driving it years ago and it was fantastic. They've made a new boiler so I think it's something to do with either the regulator or the wet header, they must have introduced some further restriction somewhere. Sure they'll get to the bottom of it.

Helped them set up for a portable track event yesterday at the Shildon Railway museum - luckily it's only a couple of miles from my house so thought I should definitely be helping!

Nick


Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #36 on: September 22, 2012, 08:39:53 AM »
Stew

I was following a thread on MECH on work tables and one of the examples had been mounted directly on a lifting table and another had the pivot points on jacks. They got me thinking how I could best could use the jacking function of the table and get the loco on and off without a major dis-assembly. So what you see is what I came up with. As the table lifts to about 700mm that's the height the loco ends up at, perfect for sitting on a chair to work if you want or perfect to stand over, and nothing is in the way. I also thought the whole thing would be top heavy and unstable, it isn't I can trundle the whole lot around with no problems, a bit of care need on the drive, but if you are going any distance you can get it on to the table and lower it.

There is one mod I need to do. Currently the loco is mounted to the pivot plates with 8mm bolts through the buffer holes in the beams. The future state needs to have fixed pegs in the pivot plates that slot into the buffer stocks when buffers are removed. So just a case of, pivot the front end frame out of the way, undo the 4 nuts holding in the buffers, remove the buffers and springs , pivot up the end frame, slot the plates into the stocks. Bolt up the end frame and press the table 'down' peddle to get it out of the way.

Yes those holes are lube points for the valve chests, there's also one in the front cylinder cover. Necessary with CI cylinders, pistons and valves.

Hope that helps

regards

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

Online steamer

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 12697
  • Central Massachusetts, USA
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #37 on: September 22, 2012, 12:19:28 PM »
I like that rotisserie alot!   I'll have to file that one away!

Nice work!

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

Offline sbwhart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 745
  • Live Long and Prosper
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #38 on: October 07, 2012, 07:48:08 PM »
Well things havn't come to a standstill on this just a bit slow plus I had a thick.

Cleaned up the coupling rods as they were laser cut this just ment cleaning the hard scale off heat effected edge this was easiliy done with an old file then they were given a good going over with emery cloth.

Then after carfully measuring the axle centres set them up in the mill and using the DRO drill for the bearings at the correct centre distances.


With that done i had to make a jig from a chunk of ally to hold the rods on their side for thining them out and cutting the flute with a woodruff cutter.



Then using a slitting saw cut the tang for the tennon



Then cut the tennon in the other link.

Then made the phos bronze bushes sorry no pics of this just a simple turning job.

As I'd carfully made everything at the correct centers i was full of confidence that it was just a matter know of fitting the bearing and away we go NO i was wrong the darn thing locked up, checked everything ok all correct still locked up  :scratch: this was the start of my thicky week I tried everything to try and get it to turn over opened out the bushes this worked but resulted in a very sloppy fit not happy with that measured and re measured swappped thing arround still no good.

Saturday morning came round without sucess and went to a club charity steam up, got talking to some of the wise old guys, "you have made the bushes excentric havn't you and made everything a lose fit":-   "no i've made everything a good fit and concentric":- "well thats were you've gone wrong you should make the two outside bushes excentric and a lose fit crank pin, you then rotate the bushes in the rods until you get the sweet spot wher the loco turn over mark their position and fix them with some loctite retainer.

This morning up bright and early turned some bushes up with and 0.5mm off set fitted them as advised job done in three hours:--- you can't beat a bit of experience

 :D :D :D



Thats it the loco is going away for a few monthe whilst I build the dake

Stew 

A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline zeeprogrammer

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6811
  • West Chester, PA, USA
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #39 on: October 07, 2012, 09:45:39 PM »
Was wondering where you'd been.

...plus I had a thick.

I hadn't heard that one before. I think I got it from the context of your post. Glad all worked out.

Thats it the loco is going away for a few monthe whilst I build the dake

What? Noooooooo!
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #40 on: October 08, 2012, 06:35:20 AM »

............................ got talking to some of the wise old guys, "you have made the bushes excentric havn't you and made everything a lose fit":-   "no i've made everything a good fit and concentric":- "well thats were you've gone wrong you should make the two outside bushes excentric and a lose fit crank pin, you then rotate the bushes in the rods until you get the sweet spot wher the loco turn over mark their position and fix them with some loctite retainer.


I recall our discussion about how much slack you need in the system to enable it to go round corners and allow for suspension movement.

Of course you did have 1/8" packers under the axle boxes when you found those sweet spots? (only kidding it probably doesn't make any difference)

Great job as usual

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

Offline Stuart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1785
  • Tilchestune UK
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #41 on: October 08, 2012, 07:56:49 AM »
Stew

One of the accepted methods ( D Hewson )  is not to bore the leading and tailing axel boxes to finished size , but do bore the centre one to size,

make up the rods as per drawing complete with bushes as required.

then fit a dummy stub axel  with a stub to fit the centre rod crank pin , make up and fit tool makers buttons to fit  the leading and trailing rod ends , with axle boxes in the horns bolt the buttons through the boxes with the rod in place, ( the axle centres and the rod centres are now in agreement )

remove the front and trailing axle boxes , chuck up in four jaw centre up the button and bore the axle box to size


Stuart


My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

Offline NickG

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1430
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #42 on: October 11, 2012, 09:08:03 PM »
Nice 1 Stew, the quality of that chassis is a million miles from what it was before now  :ThumbsUp:

Offline sbwhart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 745
  • Live Long and Prosper
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #43 on: April 11, 2013, 04:43:39 PM »
Well I guess its time i brought you all up to date with this project, I must admit I've been a little remis at taking picture the reason being is my trusty old shop camera started playing silly buggers, and I've only just got a replacement.

So what have i been up to:- well I've more or less remade everything you see in this picture, this doesn't include the cylinders and vlave chest, but everything else I've remade including fitting cast iron pistons and rings.



This is my pile of bits I've scrapped off so far.




Still got a few more bits to make:- motion plate bits for the lifting link and valve link, when these bits are done I will have everything to start putting it back together but I I know this will take a bit of fitting and fetling to make everything to look buisness like. I'm getting a bit fed up with the project so before i put it together I'm planning on a quicky engine build, my simple horizontal mill engine.

Stew
A little bit of clearance never got in the way

Offline doubletop

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 362
  • Wellington NZ
Re: Finishing off a 5" Gauge Simplex Loco
« Reply #44 on: April 12, 2013, 11:06:32 PM »
Stu

I'd wondered where you'd been with this. I occasionally came back to check just in case I'd missed a notification. It looks like you've been making good progress in the background.

Whats this getting fed up and doing something else? You've done the hard part and you must be pretty close to assembly and running on air. (in fact I suspect you are probably holding out on us and have had it together and just took it apart again for the photo  ;) )

With the boiler already done and most of the platework available its not much further to go to steaming and get it ready to run this summer, and not next.

Keep going mate.

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

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal