Author Topic: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO  (Read 174287 times)

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #795 on: March 14, 2019, 08:01:47 PM »
Hi

I have re-made the wet head completely in bronze



The wet head and steam connection have been silver soldered to the super heater tubes. It took a lot of fiddly fettling to get things in the right place, not a lot of room to work inside the smoke box. The steam connection pipe ain't pretty, just functional. The super heater tubes are wedged open slightly with a bit of scrap steel while I solder them. I have slightly bent the super heater tubes so that when they are fitted it sits just above the top of the fire hole








The backhead is a bit of a mess, but this is my first loco boiler. Also the on the plans he shows the firehole door hinges and brackets fitted by drilling and tapping the backhead which is only 3/32" copper. I don't fancy doing that :ShakeHead:

Print out a couple of actual size back head drawings with 3/16" added each side and around the top



Cut out and try for fit



Spray glue onto a bit of 1/8" steel plate and mark the centres



A step drill makes short work of drilling the holes



After a bit of fettling with a file



Looks better already

Cheers

Rich





Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #796 on: March 14, 2019, 09:26:21 PM »
Looking great Rich!  :ThumbsUp:

I don't mean to take this on a tangent...but I'm curious about the apparent requirement for a boiler inspector.
Is this a UK thing? Does it apply even if the boiler is for personal use?
Does the US have a similar thing? (I'm suspecting the US does but only for boilers used in 'public' settings. I don't think the US cares if I build a boiler (of any 'small' size) if it's for personal use. Which generally brings up the question as to what 'personal use' means.

And I don't mean to limit to the UK or US. Other countries?
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #797 on: March 15, 2019, 04:20:28 AM »
Rich, the re-done part looks very nice, as does the back plate.  1/8" plate is pretty stout stuff!

I'm interested in those questions too, Zee.  I never hear "boiler inspector" talked about by anyone in the states.  It's always a UK or Australia thing, it seems.  Maybe other countries too?

Kim

Offline Steamer5

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #798 on: March 15, 2019, 05:10:47 AM »
Hi Rich,
 You are coming along in leaps & bounds! Nice work. Can I ask why did you choose steel for you “new” blackhead? I’m guessing cause you had some! It is very likely that you will get rust on the inside face that may cause you problems down the track. Brass would be a better bet......if your wallet moths can stand the shock!

Kim & Zee,
 Down here in New Zealand we have to have our boilers inspected regularly too! You all so have to have regular inspections at points along the construction process. H & S here has been tightened up in the last few years. I’ve been in this game for the best part of 35 years now & all boilers have had to have regular inspection since before then.
Given we’re you guys live I’d be surprised that you don’t have to have some form of check. Still I guess if you live far enuff away from anybody else & only play on your bit of dirt then you can get away with it.......but for how long.

Cheers Kerrin
Get excited and make something!

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #799 on: March 16, 2019, 08:39:08 PM »
Hi

Thanks Zee, Kim and Kerrin  :ThumbsUp:

Very briefly here in the UK we have to have a boiler inspection at regular intervals.

Kerrin, several reasons for the steel backhead.

Firstly to cover up the messy silver soldering all over the copper back head. This is my first loco boiler so I am allowing myself a little leeway, I have learnt a lot so hopefully the next one will be a little tidier.

The firehole door in the the original plans calls for drilling and tapping the quite thin copper back head to screw the hinge and catch directly onto the backhead. I just don't like the idea :ShakeHead:. After all the trouble I had with leaks the last thing I want to do now is to start drilling holes in it :hellno: Drilling and tapping 1/8" steel is a much better option.
Other loco owners that have done this have not had problems with corrosion so we will see

I thought of using brass but in the article Martin Evans reccomends steel as brass can become uncomfortably hot




Cheers

Rich

Offline cnr6400

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #800 on: March 16, 2019, 11:20:23 PM »
Hi Rich, +1 on attaching the hinge and top spring anywhere except through the boiler wall........ :facepalm:

Also that top spring will have a very short life unless it is made much thinner or much longer, it has wrong proportions as drawn for a flat spring.

This is just more "easy to draw hard to make" bad proportioned stuff often seen in the details of Mr Evans' work.
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Baner

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #801 on: March 17, 2019, 12:20:43 AM »
Zee and Kim,

Boiler inspections are limited to any Club based running or showing of locomotives or engines. It's a public safety requirement.

Boilers for personal use do not need to be inspected, but unless you have your own track you'll never get to run a locomotive. It will also make it very hard to sell.

It's not something you can get done retrospectively either. The internal components and design must be checked before everything gets sealed up.

Australia took it's lead from the UK based club inspection system but I've no idea what other countries do.

An aside, the AMBSC boiler code book is an excellent boiler design resource aswell as being the rule book for boiler construction in Aus.

Dave.

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #802 on: March 17, 2019, 02:24:09 PM »
Hi

Thanks cnr6400 and Dave  :ThumbsUp:

Started to make the firehole door from steel. It is going to be hinged from the right which will be better than the drop down type specified on the plans. Not finished yet and no plans or drawings, just made it up as I went along ::)






Cheers

Rich

Offline Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #803 on: March 17, 2019, 03:35:10 PM »
That's going to be a smart looking fire door, Rich!
Kim

Offline cnr6400

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #804 on: March 17, 2019, 04:25:39 PM »
Hi Rich, The new fire door looks great.  :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: :ThumbsUp: Have you got some slots under the sliding bolt to let out any coal dust that finds its' way into the mechanism? Some slots might help give it an exit path and reduce chance of jamming. Just food for thought.   :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #805 on: March 18, 2019, 09:49:08 AM »
Hi

Thanks Kim  :ThumbsUp:

Thats a good idea cnr6400, I'll machine a couple of slots in it  :ThumbsUp:

Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #806 on: April 06, 2019, 08:31:46 AM »
Hi

I haven't had anything to post for a while, been away on holiday but if you will pardon the pun I'm back on track now ::)

Did a little work on the firehole door yesterday

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1d3KIBx4j4" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1d3KIBx4j4</a>

Cheers

Rich

Offline Kim

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #807 on: April 06, 2019, 05:22:21 PM »
Nice fire door, Rich! That is just pretty slick  :popcorn:
Kim

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #808 on: April 06, 2019, 07:30:27 PM »
Hi

Thanks Kim  :ThumbsUp:

The only problem with modifying things is it often affects something else :facepalm:

Pressure testing the new bronze and copper dome



Back to the fire door. A couple of slots machined in the back of the hinge which will hopefully keep the soot and ash clear



All the parts have been zinc plated



The problem is the handle will foul the regulator





In this case an easy fix by shortening the handle



The original regulator stuffing box and gland which includes stops spaced at 60° will be discarded. I have made new ones from bronze a little longer to clear the steel backhead. I will fix the handle stops to the steel backhead




Cheers

Rich

Offline Firebird

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Re: CONWAY 0-4-0 3 1/2" GAUGE LOCO
« Reply #809 on: April 06, 2019, 08:04:19 PM »
Hi

The regulator is fiddly and time consuming but has to be right. The spindle is 3/16" round stainless steel which has a 1/8" round spiggot whch locates into the regulator body and a 1/8" square which fits into the regulator crank. A square collet block is used to machine the square





The spindle which is over long at the moment is pushed through the bush and into the regulator body





To determine the length I made a collar from scrap ally drilled through 3/16" and cross drilled and tapped M4





A collar from bronze with 2 stainless steel grub screws





The handle starts life as 5/16" round stainless steel, machined flat



2 holes drilled, one is filed square



The spindle is machined square and threaded M3







The boiler serial No. stamped in and a window machined in the steel backhead







Cheers

Rich


 

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