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Hi all, I am building a LMS Black 5 basically of LBSC design. However I am unsure of the purpose of the tender water valve mounted on the front drag beam of the tender. Is it to control the water flow to the injector or to open/shut the return flow from the axle water pump? LBSC narratives and...

Hi all, I am making a 3.5" gauge 2-6-0 locomotive based on LBSC's "LMS Black 5". It deviates from his design due to the fact that when I started it I didn't have the drawings or build information, I was using photographs of the model locomotive available on the internet. Hence the measurement...

Hi all, it states here http://www.modeng.johnbaguley.info/Valve%20Gears/valvegear1.htm fourth paragraph, that for the Walschaert's valve gear, the return crank can be set using a simple jig and that the lengthy set up that specified by LBSC, et al, is unnecessary. However, it doesn't show how...

Hi all, I have attached a GA sketch of a mechanical lubricator designed by LBSC. However I don't have detailed construction data to enable me to make one. Some information I can deduce from the sketch, but there are areas that have foxed me, particulary the operation. The principle appears to...

Hi all, I am making expansion links for a steam locomotive. I need to produce a curved slot at 4 7/8ths " radius 3/16ths" width and a 1/16th" deep. I have a lathe only no milling machine. A simple method is to mount the piece on a faceplate at the required distance from the lathe axis and use...

Hi all, I purchased a second hand 5/8" spiral hand reamer specifically to ream two liners (these are used in piston valve type cylinders for a locomotive) made of Gunmetal LG2 (aka redbrass). However, I am having trouble reaming one the liners, one was OK. Both liners were specified as...

Hi all, I obtain my steel from a local supplier and invariably it has a black or dark coating which I have to remove by abrasive means. What is this type of steel and is it inferior for use in model steam locomotives? Thanks in advance Brian PS I googled 'Black Steel' and the returns...

Hi all, I need to extend the length of a 2" dia gunmetal rod by 1/8th". I have faced in the lathe the two mating faces and intend to silver solder them together. However, the silver solder needs a small gap to penetrate between the mating surfaces and I am depending upon the tool marks made...

Hi all, I am dismayed by how soft copper based materials are after silver soldering and therefore easily damaged. My latest problem is the manufacture of an axle driven pump for a locomotive that required two gun metal cylinders silver soldered together to produce a T shaped form one for the...

Hi all, I have tried to find the answer on the Internet but to no avail. What is the railway or railroad specification for the 3.5" gauge track. I am building a 3.5" gauge LMS Black 5 and measured one axle at being 3.52", the others being 3.5" spot on. Assuming that one day I hope to run it on...

Hi all, I am building a 3.5" gauge locomotive based on LMS Black 5. The plans I am producing as I go along after studying pictures of the locomotive available on the internet. However, the Walschaert Valve gear has construction detail that is hidden on the completed locomotive. The area of...

Hi all, the title says it all. I received some stainless steel rod from a supplier in various sizes. Having co-mingled it with silver steel rod, I performed the magnetic test using a strong magnet from an old HDD. What I suspected as being stainless did produce slight magnetic attraction...

Hi all, I am just about to start machining the driver and driven wheels for a 3.5" gauge steam locomotive. They are 4.5" in dia machined. Unlike wheels I have machined before, these come with a boss at the centre of the reverse side. I don't know if this boss is an aid to machining or just an...

Hi all, I wish to fabricate gunmetal cylinders for a twin vertical marine engine I am building from scratch using stock materials. I have sources for gunmetal round but can't seem to identify a source for flat or bar for the steam chests and the steam ports part of the cylinder. I live in...

Hi all, I have an adjustable reamer that had metal cuttings lodge in the flutes. I decided to clean these flutes since I thought that metal cuttings could become trapped under the cutting blades and would cause the the blades to sit at different heights. I removed all of the blades and cleaned...

Hi all, I have a problem making the gland boss and nut for the cylinders and valve chests. The problem appears to be getting the threads for gland boss and nut perfectly aligned and concentric. This error manifest itself by being unable to position the nut at all settings without having the...

Hi all, I am building a twin cylinder launch engine with Stephenson's reverse valve gear. It is of my own design, I haven't produced drawings, just made it up as I go. No castings are used, utilising stock material that I have to hand. The preconceived technical requirements that I have...

Hi all, This is only an exercise. I have spare gear wheels for my 9" Southbend Type C Lathe. I want to cut a worm gear that would mesh with a gear wheel and I am unsure of the diameter and the TPI that the worm gear would need to be. For ease of presentation lets say that the gear wheel has 44...

Hi all, I attempted to cut a 7/16" ACME LH internal thread. However, I had limited success. The success of such an operation is predicated on the design and construction of the internal thread cutting tool, particularly getting the profile of the cutting bit correct. I only have a bench...

Hi, I made myself a quick and dirty live centre. The design utilised a MT2 Morse Taper with a machineable straight shank that was reduced in size to fit the shaft diameter of a single roller bearing. The housing was made and incorporated the centre, which was similar in form to the dead centre...