Brunel Models Alpha

[Mosey]

Nick,
Thanks for your comment on my bike, which is a Ducati Mach 1 single, 1963'ish, which was my excuse for having a machine shop for some years. It has a very lovely bevel drive valve arrangement.
Mosey

[nick]

Looking closer I can see that now, eyes aren't what they used to be. The Ducati desmodromic valve system is a marvelous piece of engineering.....

[nick]

Well, thats it, all over bar the shouting, all ready for final assembly, which will be done over the weekend......

[nick]

That's it, job done, few minor , cosmetic errors and I have knocked a bit of paint off, which can be touched up, but all together I am quite pleased with the results. All that remains now is to arrange a supply of steam and see if she runs ( I am quietly confident)

[Jo]

  That does look nice.

Could we have it photographed next to a coke can so that we can get some idea of size 

Jo

[nick]

Good morning Jo, I do not have a coke can to hand, but a CD should give you an idea of the size.....

[Ramon Wilson]

That's a nice result Nick  - what's it going in?

Ramon

[nick]

Thanks for the compliment, Bit big for a boat, my back is no longer suitable for lifting large boats in and out of the car,  so I will mount it on a plinth and just play with it....

[Ramon Wilson]

Sorry to hear that Nick, that is going to be a problem with the Wide a Wake - size and weight that is.  At least our pond is near waist high which helps lifting in and out.

Enjoy the running 

Ramon

[nick]

Our lake is the same, The African Queen is 3ft long and that is heavy enough, probably the maximum size I can handle.....

[ths]

That's a good looking engine Nick, if it's not going into The African Queen, what will you use? And tell me, what genre do the Subdudes fit into? An intriguing collection of instruments on the cover... Hugh.

[nick]

African Queen has a TVR 1A twin, d/a slide valve with Hackworth.s valve gear, steamed by a Maccsteam 3.5 inch vertical boiler....I will mount the Alpha on a plinth and play with it. I have also considered making a dynamo for it to run.

[nick]

Had a little run of Alpha today, still a little lumpy but she will free off with more running. I will use a bigger boiler next time as I don't think the little one I was using could cope with demand.....

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5dGAp5g8BA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5dGAp5g8BA</a>

[Roger B]

Looking good    A very traditional engineers tea/coffee cup in the background 

[nick]

Here is a video from earlier this year, I meant to post it before now but forgot, so here it is now, The steam leakage from the port faces is reducing all the time as the engine beds down, but being  large  for an oscillator it does guzzle the steam....
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttoUePK4MQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttoUePK4MQ</a>