Hello, everyone one! My name is Justin or Fuelrush. I live in East Tennessee at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains (which I love dearly). I work as a machinist and tool and die maintenance. I love working with metal and making things.
As far as engines, I've started a build of a Jet Turbine but that is on hold due to limited equipment at the moment. I hope to eventually complete it, if not I still learned a whole lot in studying these engines.
Now my current project is attempting to build a live steam locomotive. I've been drawing up a storm on paper and Mastercam. The plan is to totally scratch build the entire Locomotive. I have a prototype in mind but I just really want a working chassis more than anything. If all the detail comes together that would be even better but right now thats not my focus. Its been difficult getting started. I don't have a blueprint or anything of the prototype. All I have to work from is some basic specs of the engine and pictures for reference. I've been doing a lot of measurements from photos by taking something of a know size in the pictures and creating a scale to measure other parts on the same picture. This is a tedious process because each picture has to have another scale made. So far its been pretty effective. I've mainly focused so far on the cylinders, running gear, and all its working dimensions. Trying to understanding the Walshaerts valve gear has been a massive undertaking. I understand how it all works and what effects what but modifying and designing your own has proved very hard. It amazes me that someone came up with that well over 100 years ago. The prototype I'm trying to work with is a 1943 Baldwin Narrow Gauge Mikado with plenty oh history to be so young! The engine still runs today at a local amusement park and its pull me around since I was a child.
Thanks everyone, this seems like a great community and I hope I can contribute here and there to give back!
Here is the only picture I've got so far, but I have a bunch more work of individual parts.
As far as engines, I've started a build of a Jet Turbine but that is on hold due to limited equipment at the moment. I hope to eventually complete it, if not I still learned a whole lot in studying these engines.
Now my current project is attempting to build a live steam locomotive. I've been drawing up a storm on paper and Mastercam. The plan is to totally scratch build the entire Locomotive. I have a prototype in mind but I just really want a working chassis more than anything. If all the detail comes together that would be even better but right now thats not my focus. Its been difficult getting started. I don't have a blueprint or anything of the prototype. All I have to work from is some basic specs of the engine and pictures for reference. I've been doing a lot of measurements from photos by taking something of a know size in the pictures and creating a scale to measure other parts on the same picture. This is a tedious process because each picture has to have another scale made. So far its been pretty effective. I've mainly focused so far on the cylinders, running gear, and all its working dimensions. Trying to understanding the Walshaerts valve gear has been a massive undertaking. I understand how it all works and what effects what but modifying and designing your own has proved very hard. It amazes me that someone came up with that well over 100 years ago. The prototype I'm trying to work with is a 1943 Baldwin Narrow Gauge Mikado with plenty oh history to be so young! The engine still runs today at a local amusement park and its pull me around since I was a child.
Thanks everyone, this seems like a great community and I hope I can contribute here and there to give back!
Here is the only picture I've got so far, but I have a bunch more work of individual parts.
