Author Topic: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)  (Read 327505 times)

Offline RReid

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1185 on: August 19, 2021, 12:41:56 AM »
All nice, neat, and tidy. Great work, Kim!
Regards,
Ron

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1186 on: August 19, 2021, 01:19:21 AM »
Nice!
That will be quite an accomplishment to have the cylinder assembly mounted in the frame.

Dave

Offline Don1966

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1187 on: August 19, 2021, 04:25:22 AM »
Excellent work Kim ………  :Love:



 :cheers:
Don

Offline cnr6400

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1188 on: August 19, 2021, 05:09:45 AM »
Just a thought before disassembling the frame - did you try dropping the tee in diagonally across the frames and rotating it? It may not fit in the Z axis but it might in the XY plane.....the vee shaped ends of the tee may allow a little more leeway in the assy than the top and bottom 90 degree edges. Hope the part fits ..... well..... to a tee!  :facepalm:  :Lol:

Good luck with it, anyway!  :cheers:
"I've cut that stock three times, and it's still too short!"

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1189 on: August 19, 2021, 05:46:32 AM »
Thanks Chris, Ron, Dave, Don, and CNR!
Appreciate the comments and encouragement :)

Yeah, I tried getting it in several ways and it just won't go.  The angle you have to turn it to get it between the chassis in the XY plane is even greater than in the Z plane.  It just won't go in.

I thought about possibly filing the corners on the flanges rounder so that it would sneak in, but not only would that look weird, it would leave non-flats on the seating face and for the mounting screws.  And I didn't like that compromise.  I'm going to be taking it apart and reassembling it many times over the next few years, I'm sure.  Might as well get in some additional practice now, right? :)

Thanks!
Kim

Offline samc88

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1190 on: August 19, 2021, 01:25:13 PM »
Nice work Kim, that steam T piece looks really neat

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1191 on: August 19, 2021, 05:33:34 PM »
Thanks Sam!
The Steam Tee is one of the more interesting parts with all the steam passages and cool shaping.  Right up there with the cylinders!  Too bad you won't be able to see it once the engine's complete!

Kim

Offline Roger B

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1192 on: August 19, 2021, 06:40:29 PM »
Looking good  :)  :)  :wine1: Is the slight pink tinge on the cylinders due to the pickling?
Best regards

Roger

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1193 on: August 19, 2021, 10:43:55 PM »
Looking good  :)  :)  :wine1: Is the slight pink tinge on the cylinders due to the pickling?

Thank you Roger!

I believe that the pinkish color you're seeing is because the cylinders are phosphor bronze, as opposed to brass.  But it's true that the brass often picks up a pink coloration on the surface.  It doesn't take a lot to remove it though.  But in this case, I think I'd run out of cylinder before I got rid of the color you're seeing there!

Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1194 on: August 19, 2021, 10:48:36 PM »
To finish up the Tee, I needed to drill and tap the mounting holes for a couple of insert gizmos – the exhaust deflector and the steam deflector.


Then I drilled out the lower part of the vertical steam passages for the deflectors.  I had to remember to add 1/16” to the depth of these holes since the dimensions are given from the final shape, and I haven’t done that step yet (same for the tapped holes above.)


But now, I did. I milled off 1/16” from the lower face of the Tee.


I set a parallel across the Tee to help demonstrate what I just did – note that it’s 1/16” shorter than the flanges on the Tee? :)


All cleaned up and ready for action!


In this case, “action” meant removing one side of the chassis frame so I could insert the Tee in its place, then screw the cylinders onto the frame and into the tee.  Here you can see three of the four #5-40 SCHS that hold the cylinder to the side frame, and one of the two that attach the Tee to the cylinder.


And finally, the state of play of the A3 as of today.  It’s pretty cool having the cylinders mounted!  ;D


Interestingly, the whole thing is VERY front-heavy right now.  It doesn’t take much to make the back end just flip up.  I assume that will be corrected as we start to add more parts to the middle and back of the engine.  But it sure feels funny right now  :-\

Thanks for stopping by!
Kim

Offline derekwarner

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1195 on: August 19, 2021, 11:54:06 PM »
Kim....... not being familiar with this engine, design or build, what type of gasket material will you be using on these two principal joint faces between the T distribution body and the cylinder block faces?

Derek 
« Last Edit: August 20, 2021, 12:05:15 AM by derekwarner »
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Offline RReid

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1196 on: August 20, 2021, 12:36:45 AM »
Quote
Interestingly, the whole thing is VERY front-heavy right now.
I had the same issue with the little 0-4-0 I built. I kept a weight attached to the rear of the frame until the boiler went on, then it wasn't needed anymore.
Regards,
Ron

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1197 on: August 20, 2021, 04:59:01 AM »
Kim....... not being familiar with this engine, design or build, what type of gasket material will you be using on these two principal joint faces between the T distribution body and the cylinder block faces?

Derek

In the book, Kozo recommends the Loctite Gasket Eliminator (518 I believe).  So that's what I'm planning to use.  Though I won't put any on till I get things painted and re-assembled.  Figure that should be a year or two out  :embarassed:

Kim

Offline Kim

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1198 on: August 20, 2021, 05:01:51 AM »
Quote
Interestingly, the whole thing is VERY front-heavy right now.
I had the same issue with the little 0-4-0 I built. I kept a weight attached to the rear of the frame until the boiler went on, then it wasn't needed anymore.

Wonder if that's just the way it is with smaller engines - or maybe only if you start with the cylinders.  If I had started with the boiler and firebox, I probably wouldn't be having this issue! :)

No biggie.  I may use your solution too.  So far, I've just been setting the front and rear bumpers on blocks to keep the whole thing up off the bench and levelish.

Kim

Offline Dave Otto

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Re: Pennsylvania A3 Switcher (Kozo)
« Reply #1199 on: August 21, 2021, 01:09:32 AM »
Hi Kim

The 518 gasket eliminator is a great product, I have been using it for years.
The running gear looks real nice with the cylinders added.

Dave

 

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