General Category > Outside Links & Suggested Reading
Recommended reading
Kim:
--- Quote from: crueby on December 19, 2022, 12:28:15 am ---The New Shay is also in metric, at least my copy is. All his books are still in print, can be ordered from the publisher, Village Press, if not found elsewhere. Camden Miniature Steam carries them in UK.
https://camdenmin.co.uk/search?q=Kozo
--- End quote ---
OK, I had to go check my books... the Heisler plans are in inches as is the A3 Pennsy Switcher. I was pretty sure that at least two of Kozo's books were in inches.
Kim
Jasonb:
I think you will be very limited in what you can find in metric assuming you want the writing in English which rules out anything from Mainland Europe.
Designs that used to appear in Model Engineer and the like were then published as a set of drawings but that has not happened for probably the last 15 years so what is available will still be largely imperial. Even if you do find a "metric" design it is likely to mix in things like ME threads for steam fittings as that is what is commercially available in the UK. The few recent ones that have been in metric may not be that well proven and apart from back issues certainly not available in book/plans form.
You are probably better off looking a proven designs that you like and then making allowances for available materials and converting anything else to suit your own working preferences.
The methods in books and magazine articles will apply to whatever system you work in so I would not let metric/imperial be the deciding factor in general Loco building literature
Jo:
--- Quote from: Jasonb on December 22, 2022, 07:40:15 am ---Designs that used to appear in Model Engineer and the like were then published as a set of drawings
--- End quote ---
ME used provide a "plans" service. When you get one of those plans you will find they do not comply with engineering drawing practise or any of the international drawing standards :disappointed: But lets be honest they do not claim them to be drawings so we have no grounds to complain about those horrible fractions or their use of measurement units that were withdrawn before most of us were born :old: And don't get me on their habit of cramming lots of different bits on one sheet :facepalm:
For some reason most publications on model steam locomotives seem to have continued with imperialistic measurements. I have heard lots of excuses to support this but the bottom line is my calculator will convert between the legacy measurements and their modern equivalent. In most workshops our measurement devices/DROs are good to two decimal places so that will work, not forgetting those plans are designed for you to make bits that fit together rather than to accurate measurements :facepalm2:
As for bar stock sizes: we normally machine all the surfaces so this should not be a bother. The only real issue is the thickness of the frames where you need to decide if you are going to space them out so the outside dimension is correct or space them in and adjust lengths of rods passing through the frames accordingly.
So really the question is: do you want to know the process of machining the parts and putting together model locomotives. Or are you looking for a specific book to follow step by step to build a locomotive from? In which case they are few and far between and yes Kozo's books are excellent and make reliable locos. But you really should be building something YOU want to build, otherwise you are highly likely to loose your enthusiasm as it is going to take years and years, not to mention the cost of a boiler :-X.
Jo
Alex:
Kozos' books are great. I built the "first" Shay from the book, and here Crueby did the second - his pics are here on this site and he documented the build very well. (Thanks!!)
Nick Feast described his Q1 in Model Engineer (2010 timeframe) in metric, but with non-metric threads (at least partly?? from what I remember)
I also have plans from the Dutch magazine and drawing archive for the "DB 23" 2-6-2 in 3-1/2" gauge. Well described in the journal, in the 1990s but in Dutch.
There are quite a few articles/drawings in Europe for interesting locomotives, but I'm not sure exactly where to easily search for them. (anyone??)
I'd say that any of the Kozo books would be a "must have". He's leagues ahead of LBSC in terms of accuracy (having built an LBSC locomotive) and Martin Evans (finishing one of his designs now). Search for one of his books, I think they are worth it. I have all except the little A4 switcher.
Anyway, just my two cents.
PJPickard:
Rather than a book how about old issues if Model Engineer where dozens of locomotives were serialized. A huge choice is available. Don Young, Martin Evans, Keith Wilson and many others wrote up builds. There is also plenty on the web about errors etc about these particular engines so you should have all the info you need. I'm partial to those by Young and Wilson just for their writing style!
I already have too many locos planned otherwise I would choose this one that Keith Wilson wrote up:
https://www.ajreeves.com/bulldog.html
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