Author Topic: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO  (Read 174256 times)

Offline Firebird

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CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« on: December 28, 2016, 04:59:34 PM »
Hi

I have moved this from the plans section

I am embarking on my first steam loco build, Conway a 3 1/2" gauge 0-4-0 freelance. Originally published in Model Engineer magazine in the 1980's its a Martin Evans design.

I understand this forum doesn't do loco's so I'll gauge reaction and interest and seek guidance from the moderators before I continue.

It may be some of the members have built loco's in which case I would like to seek their advice on the (probably many) occasions I get stuck.

Let me know

Cheers

Rich

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #1 on: December 28, 2016, 07:08:00 PM »
Rich, you have found the right place for the build log. Though I am personally not involved in loco construction, I always enjoy seeing the work of others on locos and will look forward to your progress!

Bill

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2016, 05:18:24 PM »
Hi

I'll post the first bit in some detail, let me know if thats how you want it or just a condensed version.

The boiler tube is 4" OD with a 13 SWG wall thickness (2.5mm or 3/32") and is about 3/4" over long at the moment. To trim the ends square and cut to length requires a bit of woodwork.

Screw a scrap of wood, about 1" thick, to a face plate. I use large self tapping screws.



Screw another bit of wood to it



Turn them down so the first piece is a circle and the second piece has a shoulder. Drill through 10mm



The tube must be a good snug fit on the wood



Fix 4 plastic blocks to the wood, they are used in furniture building. They take a 5mm screw without tapping



Glue in a length of 10mm threaded rod that has been centre drilled each end. Run on a nut and washer then push in the wood plug and fit another nut and washer. Tail stock support is now possible

Nip up the screws with some protective packing



Very carefully and slowly the ends can be trimmed square and the excess parted off





Cheers

Rich


Offline crueby

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2016, 07:23:54 PM »
I like your solution for holding the boiler tube for trimming - I have a boiler coming up on my project, have to make a simaler trim cut and will have to remember this one. One I did in the past, I flattened the end on a disc sander, was not happy with the results, this should work better. Thanks!

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2016, 07:30:24 PM »
Nice setup and pictures too Rich. Trimming tubing that far out from the chuck can be a challenge but your setup looks both safe and effective. Thanks for sharing it.

Bill

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #5 on: December 28, 2016, 07:25:59 PM »
Hi

Thanks crueby & Bill.

Conway was published in model engineer magazine in 1980 and is available as a free download from the Johntom website.

Moving slowly onwards, 4 plates have to be made and flanged. The throatplate, backhead, firebox tubeplate and smokebox tubeplate. The backhead and throatplate use the same former so 3 formers are needed.

The free download is a PDF so the drawings are easily cut/copied/pasted into a drawing programme. I use Coreldraw but there are many to choose from. With a little bit of trial and error I printed out the various plates bang on actual size. I cut them out and used them as templates. Also all the holes are nicely marked out.

Formers are best made out of 1/2" steel but for one off usage other materials that are to hand can be used. The smokebox tubeplate former I made from aluminium. I had a piece very close to the size needed so very little was wasted and can be used again for something else

Turning the former



The corner was radiussed



Next up was the firebox tubeplate former. A bit of 2mm steel plate and what I think is a piece of Bacolite?

Cut out the pattern from the actual size printout



Spray glue to stick it to the steel plate



4mm countersunk socket head screws and spray glue fix it to the backing



Hacksaw, file, grindstone, disc sander and we have this



The last former is for the throatplate and backhead. I found some 3mm thick steel bars and fixed them to the backing with 4mm countersunk socket head screws. The Bacolite backing by the way tapped OK so the screws just screw in.





Cut out the template and glue on with spray glue.



My trusty od bandsaw removed a lot of the waste. Use a scrap of wood and long screws to make a temporary fixture.









Hacksaw, file , grind, disc sand



Thats it so far. I will jump from one piece to another as and when materials are obtained so it might seem a bit disjointed at times.

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #6 on: December 28, 2016, 07:35:09 PM »
Sorry missed out one photo

In the mill having the sides trimmed



Cheers

Rich

Offline ironman123

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #7 on: December 28, 2016, 09:06:25 PM »
Nice start on the build.  Great photos. :popcorn: :popcorn:
Ray
Central Texas

Offline vcutajar

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2016, 11:31:43 PM »
As others have said, love your setup photos.

Vince

Offline JULIUS

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2016, 06:32:47 AM »
Rich

Recently I have finished two designs of the "CONWAY" loco
The first one I drew up is for 5" gauge. The second one is for 7.25" gauge.
The second one came as a request from a person from Australia who is building the CONWAY for 7.25"
Would you or any body for that matter be interested in seeing those drawings?
Is there anybody who is building for 5" or 7.25" gauge?
I can see that your 3.5" build is going fine. I hope it will turn out to be fine machine.

kind regards

Julius
 

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #10 on: December 29, 2016, 08:22:21 AM »
Hi

Thanks Ironman and Vince

Julius, I came across your plans a while back. Actually my mate Julian found them. I have printed them out and kept them in a folder, great reference material  :ThumbsUp:. Although I'm building 3 1/2" I found your 3D views very helpful.

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #11 on: December 29, 2016, 07:39:08 PM »
Hi

A little bit of bush turning that I'm sure needs no explanation. There are 2 for the water gauge and 3 for clack valves all the same size and thread



Bagged and tagged



the union for the blower valve was a bit more of a challenge. When it came to machining the hex I made up a split collet to hold it in the rotary table





Its not finished yet as I don't have the specified dies.

It was at this point that I did get a bit confused. I haven't worked it out yet so perhaps you guys can take a look. I have clipped a couple of sections off the plans.



If you look at the drawing for the blower valve union (bottom right) you can see it specifies a thread of 3/8" X 40. Now look at the smoke box tube plate (top left) you can see the bush for the blower 3/8" X 40. so far so good.
But now look at the side view of the boiler, the bush is shown as 1/2" X 32 :noidea: :headscratch: :thinking:

The more I looked at it the more confused I got. I always find when theres a situation like this the best thing is to walk away and think about it. Eithe I'm missing something or the plans have a misprint.

Cheers

Rich

Offline Jasonb

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2016, 09:50:32 PM »
I'd say the tubeplate drawing is missing a central bush higher than the two 3/8 x 40 ones to take an access cap. bit like this



EDIT it is a central bush as I said but for the Steam Pipe header not a plug
« Last Edit: December 29, 2016, 10:00:57 PM by Jasonb »

Offline Jo

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2016, 11:53:40 AM »
Hi Rich the bush in the middle at the top is missing from the smokebox tubeplate drawing. It is the bush for the regulator to feed into and the feed to the superheater comes off the face.

If you find the drawing of your smokebox you should find it something like the attached drawing.

Edit: Just found it, page 1386, steam pipe header is on page 1501.

Jo
« Last Edit: December 30, 2016, 12:01:08 PM by Jo »
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #14 on: December 30, 2016, 01:24:05 PM »
Hi

Thanks Jason and Jo.

Reading the plans/article that I downloaded from Johntom, its a scan of the original article published in 1980,  I have noticed some more bits missing or not explained. There are also a couple of references to previous published articles, Robroy and Heilan Lassie. So it looks like you are obliged to buy a set of plans. Cheers

Rich

 

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