22/9/17 - Pansy

Recent work has been to complete the regulator components by fitting the bits to the boiler. The regulator rod had a 1/8" square milled on the end and threaded 6BA for a nut.

The handle was made from stainless rod  which was first machined for the hand end, and hot forged to shape to swell the wide end. Finished by grinding and hand filing. The handle hub was a slug of 1/4" stainless rod and drilled out and a square filed in it.  Then the bits set up on a piece of steel and silver soldered.

The orientation of the handle and ball valve was done with the slotted end that fits on the ball valve...a tight fit and it was twisted until the handle closes the valve fully. Then silver soldered. A collar on the regulator rod against the stuffing box  stops the rod disengaging from the valve.

All bits were prepared for a hydro. The valve shuts off well.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

18/9/17 - Pansy

Boiler was put together and hydro tested today, with just a couple of spots soldered and put back in the acid for a clean up.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

11/9/17 - Pansy

Amongst the jobs today was to manufacture the regulator quadrant. It is 60 degrees opening on a 1/4" ball valve which should be more than enough supply through the regulator.

Made up from some LG2 hollow bar it was machined into a ring. Then put into the rotary table where it was milled out to profile. Then removed and cut into the quadrant shape and ends cleaned up. Finally the back was slotted 1mm deep to sit on the turret supply for proper locating. Then silver soldered to the boiler.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

7/9/17 - Pansy

The firedoor mount bushes were machined and tapped 6BA. The mounting plate was used to mark out the backhead and the holes drilled. Solder ups tomorrow.

Happy steaming

Nigel

5/9/17 - Pansy

A quick update on getting the boiler guides silver soldered on to Pansy's boiler!

Happy steaming

Nigel

30/8/17 - Back on deck...and a little bit of forging!

Mother and baby doing very well, so I'm back on deck!

In my break I have discovered Alec Steele on Youtube, an excellent blacksmith that makes knives and hammers.  He even did a couple of sessions at Eveleigh Workshops in the blacksmithing classes!  I am sure you will like his material, hot metal is fascinating to watch under the power hammer!  Vital skills for the big engines.

Happy steaming,

Nigel

22/8/17 - New loco in the fleet!

We have some news...Evelyn Joy Woolley was born to us in the late evening of the 22nd! Mother and baby are well and healthy.

She is the first girl of ours, being little  sister to two bigger brothers Benjamin and Ezekiel.

Talk to you soon!

Nigel

17/8/17 - Pansy and Princess Marina

Busy again machining up some boiler guides for Pansy's boiler. These were done from LG2 gunmetal and milled to shape. The back side was relieved to allow for stay heads.

Princess Marina's eccentrics were being machined also thanks to the assistance of Jono. Good to see things progressing along at a faster rate of speed.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

14/8/17 - Holmside

Today's work was to straighten out the running boards (bent) and put an infill piece in around the reverser stand.

The cab was shortened up by 15/16" and brazed.  This makes the cab proportions much better and the saddle tank fits!

Jono was manufacturing the four valance infill pieces adjacent to the buffer beams.

The saddle tank dome hole is off centre but the diameter can be opened out to suit the dome cover and will fix all that up. The safety valve slot in the tank is about 3/4" too far forward but a bit of careful platework will be able to fix that too.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

14/8/17 - V class cab

I'm sure many of you would be familiar with the Victorian Steam Locomotive Company's project V499, here are a few photos of the cab being delivered to the Goldfields Railway at Maldon in the last few weeks.

I am familiar with a few questions regarding the loco project, asking why the cab has been done as the first new component. The reason being it was relatively easy to design, and a major visual piece of the locomotive.  Some of the challenges of the project is the design work, as the only archive drawings are the General Arrangement, and the springs.  Everything has to be drafted in detail from these drawings, or similar Baldwin designs and Victorian Railway drawings that are available from other locos.

My supply has been drafting services, starting with what we do know, and then generate some layout drawings to see how it fits and relates to surrounding parts.  The challenge of this is enormous, BUT we are not of those who view everything through the glasses of impossibility.  A new build is refreshing as it is all new work and everything is a challenge! If we don't know what we're doing, it's never too late to learn!

We have a General Arrangement of the loco which has been drawn in CAD, and as parts are required, they are pulled off the General Arrangement and designed in more detail.  We have also started a drawing numbering system in the same style as the Victorian Railways, to generate the missing drawings in a similar style as the railways used.  Suprising how the information becomes available once a start is made!

This new locomotive V499 is entirely crowd funded, the construction and design costs are kindly provided by YOU, the general public.  As part of the team I see the excitement building as the first pieces of this locomotive begin to manifest "in the flesh"!

If you too want to get behind the construction of this missing piece of history, why not jump on their website www.vicsteam.com and consider supporting the manufacture of the Smokebox barrel.  The crowdfunding campaign has been launched for this item, and the sooner the funds are raised, construction can begin.  Your support is very much appreciated!

Yours in keeping the steam alive,

Nigel

11/8/17 - Holmside

Another great day in the shed working on steam engines. We've finished the driving axles for Princess Marina...keen for laser cut bits to assemble the frames.

Holmside was put on the bench for more work. Jono was busy cutting out some 3mm plates for the cab & bunker floor, and front apron. Front end looks quite nice.

I machined up some 1/4" Whitworth fitted bolts for the reverser stand from an  appropriately sized piece of 4140...didn't need to be that tough but it's probably one of the strongest parts of the loco now!

The cab looks like it needs shortening by 3/4" - 1" and this will much improve the appearance of the doorway...much too wide currently.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

7/8/17 - Princess Marina

Work was continuing today machining up the Princess Marina's driving axles. Certainly a good help having Jono assist in the workshop with some of the machining tasks! Meanwhile I was on the mill machining up some bronze axleboxes.

How's your projects going? Love to hear from you, drop an email to say Hi!

Happy steaming,

Nigel

4/8/17 - Princess Marina

Pony truck axleboxes were finish machined from LG2 and the wheels loctited on the axles. Waiting on the laser cut bits to finish it!

Jono was happily machining up driving wheel axles on the lathe as well!

Happy steaming!

Nigel

4/8/17 - Pansy

A simple little regulator gland follower was made up from bronze for the Pansy. It will have 8BA studs and nuts.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

28/7/17 - Pansy

Some more boiler stays were touched up today...a couple of reheats were done and it's in the acid for a cleanup, looks good so far. Time to finish off some of the other bits!

Happy steaming!

Nigel

26/7/17 - Britt and Pansy

A quick job finished riveting on some copper strips top and bottom onto the barrel to keep the smokebox square to the boiler. Works very well and is strong. Will be required to clad the boiler as the whole unit will need to be done on the bench.

Pansys boiler was acid cleaned and prepped, and stays were touched up on one side of the firebox. I'd marked the boiler with whiteboard marker adjacent to the areas and taken a pic and printed it off showing areas needing a touch up.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

24/7/17 - Britannia

The rear frame extension needed to be removed to make some more clearance for the ashpan hopper sliding door. This was done and set up in the mill for a cleanup cut. At this time I noticed the rear buffing plate was bent due to some protruding rivet heads and the length of the frames and drag box and corner angles causing it to bend when bolts tightened. All the bits were measured,  milled and filed to clean up. Also there were some heavy burrs on the parts which were filed off.

There was an extra clip added to the bowden cable tube to hold it snug against the frame. 

Some copper strips were cut and made to rivet top and bottom of the boiler to hold the smokebox square. The smokebox/boiler assembly will probably have to be removed in one piece as I can't see how to install the barrel cladding when the boiler is on. No room for fingers and tools to tighten the straps. A trial removal of the boiler served to bend the regulator rod so it was straightened and these strips devised. Hopefully that will be the end of that.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

20/7/17 - Britannia

The smokebox ring was extended to attach the boiler via some curved brass blocks. Some M4 countersunk screws attach the boiler. This is to ensure thermal growth goes as per usual into the cab. The original drawings show it extends into the smokebox but we don't have a universal joint on the regulator spindle.

The boiler pads at the back were slotted out to allow the boiler to move.

The stretcher that joins the rear frame extension to mainframes was slotted to allow the bowden cable for draincocks to fit. The bowden cable fits snugly between the ashpan and the frame...as I've heard and seen the original design of pull rods running through the ashpan isn't a great idea. The bowden cable operates smoothly and doesn't need to be removed to remove the axles. The lever in the cab will be a later addition once we work out a good spot.

Due to the firebox not sitting square the ashpan doesn't sit centred on the frames and so a discovery was made when the whole lot was assembled that there was no room for the cable and tube on the Drivers side and the whole system had to be moved over to the Firemans side to get it to fit. The Every mm makes a difference under there. It was all swapped around and stretchers removed to accommodate and mount it on the other side.

Happy steaming

Nigel

Progress update

This week's work has been on a few different jobs such as V499's smokebox design drafting, machining up Princess Marina pony truck axleboxes and axle, a brief job to mill a steam engine baseplate casting, and the ongoing Britannia construction work to secure the boiler to the smokebox by extending the smokebox engaging ring.

On another note we are looking for an able-bodied model engineer to assist me with some steam projects in the shed. Must be able to use machinery and diagnose an engine, and in an ideal case  understand 2D CAD and be able to draw something up. If you're interested to discuss it with me further then send an email through.

Happy steaming!

Nigel

V class progress

If you've not seen the new build Victorian Railways 2-8-0 V class steam locomotive V499 then check out their website and Facebook page. The cab is almost finished fabrication, the design was completed late last year, and the smokebox design is now underway.

Check out www.vicsteam.com and www.facebook.com/vicsteam

I am glad to be of assistance to the project team.

Happy steaming!

Nigel