Tony Bird
Senior Member
Hi,
I own a Dixie which is a very simple 5" gauge locomotive made by a company named Maxitrack in 1984. It is a very simple model which among other things doesn't have drain cocks but instead a valve that directs the exhaust downwards when it starts. This is only partially effective as a lot of condensed steam still comes out of the chimney.
Exhaust venting valve.
At the end of last season the packing on Dixie's cylinders started to allow steam to pass the pistons, it had been some years since the packing had been fitted. As the pistons had to be remove to fit new packing it was decided to fit drain cocks.
Tapping the holes drilled for the drain cocks.
I had drawing for some automatic drain cocks which I decided to try instead of fitting level operated drain cocks. These drain cocks are very simple consisting of a ball that will allow water to vent through a hole but will seal the hole when the steam arrives.
First one fitted to a cylinder.
A static steam test was tried. Video.
Dixie has an external steam pipe about 15" long and with no super heat has always been a 'wet' steamer so it took nearly a minute for all the drain cocks to seal. The video was taken while the cylinder were still cold, in subsequent steaming's it took about 15 seconds for the drain cocks to seal. Dixie has yet to be tried on the track with these new drain cocks but I see no reason that they shouldn't function as well as they have. I am very please with their operation.
Regards Tony.
I own a Dixie which is a very simple 5" gauge locomotive made by a company named Maxitrack in 1984. It is a very simple model which among other things doesn't have drain cocks but instead a valve that directs the exhaust downwards when it starts. This is only partially effective as a lot of condensed steam still comes out of the chimney.
Exhaust venting valve.
At the end of last season the packing on Dixie's cylinders started to allow steam to pass the pistons, it had been some years since the packing had been fitted. As the pistons had to be remove to fit new packing it was decided to fit drain cocks.
Tapping the holes drilled for the drain cocks.
I had drawing for some automatic drain cocks which I decided to try instead of fitting level operated drain cocks. These drain cocks are very simple consisting of a ball that will allow water to vent through a hole but will seal the hole when the steam arrives.
First one fitted to a cylinder.
A static steam test was tried. Video.
Dixie has an external steam pipe about 15" long and with no super heat has always been a 'wet' steamer so it took nearly a minute for all the drain cocks to seal. The video was taken while the cylinder were still cold, in subsequent steaming's it took about 15 seconds for the drain cocks to seal. Dixie has yet to be tried on the track with these new drain cocks but I see no reason that they shouldn't function as well as they have. I am very please with their operation.
Regards Tony.