3 1/2" Gauge 2-4-0 Locomotive

[SBWHART]

Ok Chaps Her's my starter for ten

The Loco is a 2-4-0 LNWR Precedent Class to LBSC's Mabel Design. Hers a photo of a model built by a chap in Canada

I choose a LNWR loco because both my Grandfather and Great Grandfather had both been loco drivers with the Company. LBSC otherwise known a Curly Lawrence serialised the construction in Model Engineer in the sixties, just before died, his last of over fifty model loco designs. The Precedent class of Loco earned the nick name JUMBO by its crews from its power and work rate, with one engine HARDWICK clocking up over 2 million miles in just over ten years, this Loco is know preserved at the national railway museum in York. I like the idea that my predecessor may have drove this engine

I bought a set of castings and drawings from Reeves and being on the lazy side ordered set of laser cut frames from another company this saved me a fair bit of work (and hacksaw blades) as they also marked out all the holes positions.

Just to give you a update a few pics of progress so far

This is the assembled frame with the wheels in place

This is the crank axle with con rods and eccentric rods.

The cylinder and slide valves with gland packing

The Alan valve linkage

The reversing bracket and wheel

The cylinder loosely assembled with cross head

That more or less bring you up to date with progress so far, next job is to assemble the cylinder and linkage etc into the frame set the timing and try and get it running under air.

I’m doing a more detailed write up on another forum but if its OK I’ll copy in over onto her as well.

Cheers

Stew

 

[arnoldb]

Stew, that's simply STUNNING - Thanks for sharing!

Kind regards, Arnold

 

[BMyers]

I can't wait to see more

 

[itowbig]

wow thats a great looking loco. ill be following this. thank you for showing us

 

[Maryak]

Stew,

The reactions of others and myself would seem to suggest that we are very interested in your loco build.

Very nice. :bow: :bow:

Why is it called Alan linkage ??? It looks very much like Stevensons Linkage.

My loco heritage is a bit further North - LMS. I had 2 great uncles who worked for LMS, one was a guard and the other a painter. As an 11 y.o. I once did a trip from Lancaster to Barrow-in-Furness on the footplate of a Jubilee Class Loco called Bechuanaland. 45 miles of every young boys dream. I arrived at my grandmothers as black as the coal I had unsuccessfully attempted to shovel into the firebox. In 1953 OHS - whats that ??? ??? but we seemed to survive life's hazards by experiencing them.

Best Regards
Bob

 

[vlmarshall]

Thanks for sharing this build!

 

[hammers-n-nails]

very nice, what era would an engine of this type have come from? my dad and i are both looking forward to our build of the 71/2"gauge 2-6-0 from railroad supply. i looked at reeves but decide against them because i was afraid of large shipping costs, how is the quality of castings? right now its just prints and a pile of castings and bar stock on the bench, should be able to get started later this fall. i look forward to watching your project come together.

maryak heres a link that explains variations of the stephenson gear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenson_valve_gear#Allan_straight_link_valve_gear

 

[SBWHART]

Thanks for your kind comments and encouragement chaps.

To Answer a few ?

Yes it is like the Stevenson Link the main difference is the lifting link is straight, easyer to make, a chap called Allen devised it.

They were made from the 1870 through to 1900 they were in service up until about the 1920, and they were made in my home town of Crewe in fact I was born in my Grandmother house which was opposite the main entrance to the old loco work, one of my early memories is fealing the ground shake from the steam hammers in the forge.

I have had some problems with the casting quality the driving and driven wheels don't quite match, and I had to return one due to a bad blow hole, I also had problems with the steam chest cover this also had blow holes but I was able to replace that with a piece of brass sheet.

I actually scraped the cylinder casting off at my first attemp the coolant pipe got traped between the casting and the boring bar and grooved the cylinders, a new casting would have cost 90 squid so I bought a chunk of phos bronze thatwas as near to dam it the correct size for 35 squid

Casting with grooves

Replacment

Cheers

Stew

 

[Paolo]

Great work!!!! :bow: :bow: :bow:...I'm attracted from Locos..maybe one day...!!!
Best regards
Paolo

 

[SBWHART]

Well I've finally got the Loco running on air, not without some problems getting the linkage sorted and the timing set believe it or not this has taken me the best part of 6 weeks, very frustrating I had to put it a aside a couple of times just to take stock of my next move.

In the end I ended going back to basics and digging my books out a working out the slide valve dimension myself and machining up a dummy valve to new dimensions so see how it looked, looked ok so machined the slide valves up to these sizes, connected her up to air went outside to turn the compressor on and she just started up, just like that.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTeVvCwtzAA[/ame]

One happy guy

Stew

 

[vlmarshall]

Ah, wow, that's just great to see. I wish that direct-drive air compressor wasn't making noise over top of all the GOOD sounds. ;D

 

[CrewCab]

One happy guy

Well done Stew, knew it was only a matter of time :bow:

CC

 

[PhiberOptix]

Very Nice

:bow:

thats some very intricate work, most impressed :bow:
I hope to work my way up to doing something like this.

regards
Andy

 

[slick95]

WOW :bow:

Outstanding work. Really enjoy watch all the components operating in formation.

Thank you for sharing.

Jeff

 

[SBWHART]

WOW :bow:

Outstanding work. Really enjoy watch all the components operating in formation.

Thank you for sharing.

Jeff

Thanks for your comments Chaps.

Jeff:- Your quite right it gets quite hypnotic you can understand the appeal these old steam locos had over the modern Diesel/Electric loco.

The valves are Stevenson with Alan straight reversing linkage could never quite get my head round ??? how it worked from the drawing and websites explaining it, but know that I've got one working I've got it sussed:- you've just got to admire the old time engineers for their ingenuity.

Thanks again and have fun

Stew

 

[Maryak]

Jeff,

Marvellous motion bloody well done. :bow:

Best Regards
Bob

 

[zeeprogrammer]

I hope to see something similar to that on my road to my dream.
Thanks! Very nice.

 

[SBWHART]

Ran her for over three hours now she's losend up nicely now ticks over at low pressure lovely.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqDAAMWftJg[/ame]

Tucking her away under the bench for a few months while I get on with a couple of other projects, I like to run the changes.

But I'll keep you posted on my further adventures.

Have fun

Stew

 

[vlmarshall]

Amazingly amazing. ;D :bow:

Zeep's not the only one that dreams of these.

 

[ozzie46]

great job, this is my ultimate goal.

Ron