Boiler fittings help required

[tmuir]

I recently acquired a nice old German Bing steam engine.
This is one of their larger ones as the picture below will show, it is sitting next to a Mamod se3.

The boiler is 7cm in diameter and as the next picture will show someone in the past has attempted to 'fix' the boiler and has removed the water gauge and the 3 way valve and lost them. They have also drilled an extra hole for something else.

I decided rather than trying to find spares of the original fittings which would be near impossible for an engine between 80 and 100 years old I would make a new end cap and fit modern parts.

I made the new end cap last night and its a pretty good fit even is it is made of heavier brass than requires.
I'm looking at fitting a site glass with a blow down valve but not stop cocks to keep the price down.
Now this engine is also fitted with a water pump to refill the boiler.
Originally it had a 3 way valve, closed, middle position let water into the boiler and blow down so if you were not careful instead of pumping water into the boiler you could let the contents of your boiler out.
I'm not big on this idea so I'm just looking at a regular valve to either pump water into the boiler or have it closed.

What I have been looking at is some fittings from Maccsteam. His water gauge, his check valve to fit to the boiler and steam valve to turn on or off the water from the pump.
This is the page here.
http://www.maccsteam.com/Fittings/Fittings.html

I will be silver soldering my bushes into the end cap but I can only soft solder the end cap to the boiler as with almost all toy steam engines the original boiler is soft soldered.

Before I go spend the money I just want to check what I'm planning on doing is the best option or can anyone think of a better way to go?

This boiler's safety valve will be set to open around 15 PSI and is of the old fashioned hanging weight type.

Thanks Tony

 

[PolskiFran]

Hi Tony, I'm working on restoring a Marklin Powerplant with some of the same problems as yours has.

The fitting bushings are threaded for 4mm thread and are soldered from the inside of the boiler. I will need to make a few replacements. This should be easy using the lathe.

An external pump and is an excellent idea. I may add one as well as a boiler drain / blowdown, if I can fit them in some unseen area as not to detract from a proper restoration.

Mine still had the original sight glass. A "[" shaped glass tube with a rubber gasket between the glass and boiler that is held in place by the sight glass cover. I am going to use a heat resistant rubber for the new gasket.

My boiler is soft soldered also. I thought about using silver solder but I may do damage to some of the original joints with the extra heat. The bottom of the boiler is an interlocking lap joint. I am only going to resolder at the visable joint both inside and outside.

I am also going to make a low water level valve. Mine was missing the original. I figure I can use the whistle or outlet valves as a model to make a repro.

Repainitng of mine will be necessary. I plan on looking into getting my paint from one of the outfits that have paint for tinplate electric train restorations.

The number of holes on your end cap could be correct. Two for the sight glass. One for the blowdown. One for the pressure gage. One to fill the boiler from empty without using the pump.

Good luck on your project,
Frank

 

[tmuir]

I'm pretty sure the lowest hole isn't original as its not round so has been drilled by someone without a block under it so the hole tore out.
I've made a new end cap. It's of heavier brass than the original because I refused to pay the $25 price tag for the little scrap of brass you get in the hobby shop for K&S brand.
It won't look quiet as nice as the original one but it will do until the day I manage to get a sheet of the correct size brass.

and the test fit

 

[rangerssteamtoys]

Looks like it belongs on the boiler to me, good job. How do you make an end cap?