Author Topic: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO  (Read 174359 times)

Offline Admiral_dk

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #555 on: August 19, 2018, 09:40:59 PM »
You don't mention the result, but I guess that all is well now  :noidea:

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #556 on: August 20, 2018, 08:05:12 PM »
Hi

Well I measured it with my best piece of knotted string  :lolb: :ROFL: :Lol: so fingers crossed

Next job is to drop the boiler back in the frames and see if the firebox clears the rods but I'm busy over the next couple of weeks so shop time will be short

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #557 on: September 01, 2018, 08:23:27 PM »
Hi

With the brake gear roughly in place I have turned my attention to the ashpan and grate

Firstly a couple of little brass clamps to hold the boiler in position. They are not a tight fit which allows for expansion of the boiler





Here it is as written in the article





I drew a pattern on the computer, printed it out and stuck it to a bit of cardboard with spray glue. Cut it out and stick the corners together with a hot glue gun







A trial fit in the frames and it seems ok



The grate I picked up at a steam fair. Its stainless steel, tough as old boots so was cut with an angle grinder fitted with a stainless steel cutting blade







Another copy of the template stuck to some stainless steel and cut out with the angle grinder





Fold up the sides



Silver solder together. Solder a tube across and a couple of strips to support the grate. Make the pin. The rest of the day was spent grindind and fettling to get it to fit.




With hindsight I needn't have bothered trying to be too accurate as it didn't fit too well. It has to be fettled to fit. The bottom edge of the boiler, and the foundation ring aren't square or straight.

Cheers

Rich

« Last Edit: September 01, 2018, 08:27:35 PM by Firebird »

Online Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #558 on: September 01, 2018, 09:36:43 PM »
Great progress, Rich!  Its really starting to look like an engine!
Kim

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #559 on: September 01, 2018, 10:27:54 PM »
I'm happy to see the progress. It's looking great!  :ThumbsUp:
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Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #560 on: September 06, 2018, 07:34:20 PM »
Hi

Thanks Kim and Carl  :ThumbsUp:

Because I have modified the brake gear I can't now fit the rear safety angle/stretcher  ::)

I thought about modifying it by cutting 2 slots in it for the brake rods to go through but there would be very little metal left weakening the angle too much. I have made 2 little brackets that sit on the frame in the same mounting holes. They are drilled 3/8" to take a 3/8" round stainless steel bar. I haven't cut the bar to length yet. On final fitment I will drill and pin the bar and brackets together





Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #561 on: September 06, 2018, 07:46:43 PM »
Hi

The grate sits in the ashpan on the 2 cross beams and sits up inside the boiler firebox being held there only by the ashpan. The idea is that should I need to drop the fire quickly all I have to do is pull the pin and the ashpan and grate will fall out.

Thats ok but it makes putting the ashpan and grate into the loco a bit tricky. To get round this I have simply wired the grate to the ashpan while I push it in. Once fitted it won't matter if the copper wire burns away.









Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #562 on: September 06, 2018, 08:32:13 PM »
Hi

I'm getting close to a final assembly of the frames so I'm looking around to see if there is anything else that needs to be done before the assembly and paint. One thing that I have had in mind for a while is the buffers. The plans show 2 simple steel blocks, not very appealing





I fancy something more like sprung buffers.

You can see from the drawing though that there are angles that bolt the beam to the frames right where the buffers go which means that the type of buffer that has a plunger sticking out the back would not be possible to fit. Most of today was spent coming up with this idea that uses the existing bolt holes

Starting with some 1" square steel turn down, drill and flatten the bottom with an end mill to make the body



Chop off in the band saw



Face to size (sorry no photo here)

The plunger part is made from some 1" round stainless steel



Cut off, turn round and face. I have profiled the buffer head alittle, again no photo, sorry

The body is drilled and tapped M5 for a grub screw







The plunger has a 1/8" slot cut in it





The spring is 3/8" stainless steel and cut from a length



The back of the body is drilled and tapped M3 to match 2 holes in the buffer beam



The bolt holes in the buffer beam are M2.5 so the 2 holes for the buffer must be drilled out to M3



The buffer can now be bolted on from the back using 2 of the existing holes, no further mod to the beam being required








That looks a lot better, I'm happy with that

Cheers

Rich





Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #563 on: September 06, 2018, 08:51:56 PM »
Hello Rich,

Cannot wait to see it completed and all painted up, looking good.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #564 on: September 09, 2018, 06:29:57 PM »
Hi

Thanks Thomas  :ThumbsUp:

Got all 4 buffers made. They are having a quick coat of red paint




Cheers

Rich

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #565 on: September 09, 2018, 06:36:14 PM »
Just saw the post on fabricating the buffers.  :ThumbsUp:
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
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Offline crueby

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #566 on: September 09, 2018, 06:57:04 PM »
Those buffers will look much better! 


 :popcorn:

Online Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #567 on: September 10, 2018, 05:10:43 AM »
Rich, those are some fancy looking spring loaded buffers!  Agree with Chris these are MUCH better!
Kim

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #568 on: September 10, 2018, 09:18:06 PM »
Hi

Thanks  Carl, Chris and Kim

The buffers have been assembled. I have used a little vaseline as grease and used a little loctite on the grub screws





Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #569 on: September 13, 2018, 09:09:25 PM »
Hi

The main stretcher, the one that carries the axle driven pump and the valve rod guides is next up to be fitted to the frames.

There is nothing in the text to explain how its fitted but I think its worthy of some detailed explanation.

All the info you get is the hole positions on the plans, shown here in the red circle



If you look closely you will see that they are at a slight angle to match the slope of the cylinders. The stretcher over laps the large oval hole in the frame which is why there is a strange hole layout.

My first job was to map out the hole position



From that I made a drilling jig from some scrap steel



To get the position on the frame I resorted to my old trick of printing out 2 exact size sections of the plan. One printout reversed for the opposite frame. Cut them out and tape them to the frames



I have an optical centre punch which is brilliant for jobs like this. Centre punch just 2 of the holes



drill 2 holes



Bolt on the drilling jig and drill the other holes





Repeat on the opposite frame

Now the stretcher has to be drilled and tapped. I have used M3

Set the stretcher up square



Find an edge with a wobbler



Drill and tap M3 using the DRO and the drawing hole positions. 3 holes are in the edge of the stretcher and 3 are in the brass angle

Heres the stretcher ready to be fitted. All the stainless steel button heads now have self locking nuts



Hope that helps

Cheers

Rich



 

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